Coach Bri’s Journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics

You joined M2M in December 2017 with no prior structured training experience and had never raced a 5k on the road or track. Now, you’re headed to the Olympics for that distance. Can you tell us about joining M2M and how your expectations evolved as you developed as an athlete?

I read through my original M2M intake form the other day and had a good laugh realizing how far I’ve come. For my 5k personal best, I wrote: “n/a never done one.” I played volleyball at McGill and then took a long break from competitive sports. Eventually, I started running a few days a week to stay in shape and would jump into races for fun. In 2017, I ran the Vancouver Sun Run (10km) in 41 minutes and the Vancouver BMO Half in 1:27. I definitely didn’t have the Olympics on my radar but I loved running, so I dropped into M2M one day.

I remember my first workout (kilometre reps) at Point Grey Track with about 40 other athletes. I wish I could go back and see my splits—I can’t imagine they were any faster than 4:00/km. I loved the group environment and running with everyone. At my first Chase the Pace 5000m in December 2017, Dylan paced me to 18:07.

Rob started coaching me soon after. He kept running fun, patiently helped me grow in the sport, and provided an environment for me to learn and test myself. It was just what I needed. Over the next few years, with his help, I ran distances from the mile to the marathon.

During the summer of 2020, when races were cancelled, I started doing track time trials, and things began to click. I ran 16:16 for 5000m that summer. I had no expectations and just thought it’d be fun to try to break 16 minutes next time. Not having expectations helped me approach the sport with curiosity instead of pressure. Even now, I try to keep that perspective as an athlete.

You had no previous experience working with a coach before M2M, where you were initially coached by Rob and now by Richard Lee in the BC Endurance project. Can you describe your transition from casual running to seriously pursuing it and ultimately deciding to go all in?

In March 2021, Rob encouraged me to take the next step in my running. At the time, I was running about 90km a week and had dropped my 5k time in a time trial to 16:01.

I remember being nervous at my first group workout with the BC Endurance Project. Everyone there had represented Canada, made the Olympics, or set Canadian records. Meanwhile, I had never raced a real track meet or even worn spikes. Some of the early workouts were tough—I’d get dropped or go out too hard—but eventually, I found my footing with Rich’s help.

That track season was local in Vancouver due to Covid travel restrictions. I ran personal bests across the board, breaking 16 minutes for the first time with a 15:46. During that mini-season, racing against people who made the Tokyo Olympic team, I started to think that maybe I could make a national team one day.

During this journey, you pursued running through Covid and had a beautiful baby boy. Can you tell us about your family support team and their role in your journey?

After that track season, we decided to start our family. I was fortunate to run throughout most of the pregnancy, and Bennett was born on June 1, 2022. After Bennie was born, I set my sights on making a national team, targeting the Pan Am Games.

I didn’t realize how challenging this would be, especially as a new mom. The road back to running postpartum was harder than I expected. I struggled with SI joint issues and didn’t do my first running workout until about six months postpartum.

My parents helped a lot with Bennie so I could train. I felt a lot of guilt leaving for even a 30-minute run, but my mom always reminded me that I would be a better mom if I got to do what I loved too. She watched Bennie during countless workouts, long runs, and weekends when I travelled to races. My parents’ support was crucial, and I’m so grateful they’ll be in Paris with my brother to watch me.

My biggest support is my husband, Derek. He’s gone all-in on this running dream and made it his own. He’s paced workouts, watched Bennie when I needed to train, helped with rough toddler nights so I could sleep, and so much more.

One of my most unforgettable races was my first track meet postpartum. We travelled to Stanford for Payton Jordan. The trip and race were brutal—Bennie was a handful, Derek got norovirus, and I ran a hard 16:07. In the parking lot after the race, with Derek sick and Bennie screaming, I questioned if it was worth it. I knew I couldn’t do this without them.

The next day, we decided it was worth it and we would find a way to make it work. I went on that season to run 15:19, win the Canadian Championships in the 5000m, and make my first national team, the World Championships in Budapest.

When I got home from the Pan Am Games in November, it was eight months until the Olympics. I thought, we’ve come this far, let’s give it a go. That was the first time I started to believe I had a shot at being an Olympian.

As a coach with M2M, you juggle a career, motherhood, coaching, and elite racing. How does your unique background influence your work with athletes?

I feel like I can relate to M2M athletes because that’s where I started, and it’s still a part of who I am as an athlete. I understand the daily juggle of working and trying to fit in your run, the dark and cold 6 am runs, and the rainy seawall workouts. I’ve done it, and I still do it. I know it’s hard, but I hope I can lead by example and show athletes that you can chase your goals, whatever they are if you keep showing up.

How has training been leading up to the Olympics? When is your race, and how can we watch it?

After Nationals in June, Coach Rich turned to me as we left the track in Montreal and said to take a hard look at that track. It might’ve made me an Olympian. We waited a few days for the announcement, and there were a lot of happy tears when we got the good news. Rich has coached athletes to the ’88, ’92, ’12, ’16, ’20, and ’24 Olympics. He’s been the driving force behind the scenes, crafting different schedules and plans for my life. He understood what it would take to get me here and believed I could do it. I had my last workout with him the other day before flying out to Barcelona for the final Athletics Canada training camp before Paris. It was the same as my first workout at Mile2Marathon—kilometre reps—but this time a bit quicker.

I race the Olympic 5000m on August 2nd at 6:10 pm in Paris (9:10 am in Vancouver). You can watch me on CBC Sports. I am so honoured and can’t wait to represent Canada and Mile2Marathon!