Head coach Andy McInnis is on his way to a speedy recovery following his second hip replacement surgery of the year. The 60 year old leader of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club set an Ottawa Hospital physiotherapy test world record in a speed walking test for a day one post op patient. The test, part of a hospital study, may in fact be McInnis’ first recorded performance in the sport of track and field as he claims to have never been a participant despite entering the coaching profession in the 1970’s.
McInnis remarked, “I did not break the record of some patient who was in hospital testing for three days with physio rehab testing and practising each day; however, I did crush his day one and two performance times,” after completing testing which involved standing up from a chair and then using crutches to walk five metres with a 180 degree turn, walking back and sitting in the chair again.
Andy, renewed physically, is hoping to continue to lead the club and its varsity team programs at both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University for at least another decade. “All that is left now is organ failure and that can happen to any of us at any time,” McInnis says.
“There is a lot of unfinished business as we continue to build upon Canada’s #1 track and field organization and a major athletics presence and success in Ottawa’s hosting of the 2017 and 2018 National Para, Junior and Senior Championships. Some organizations focus on just coaching a few events. Some just on event hosting. In Ottawa, we do it all, from building athletes from the playground to the Olympics, to building facilities and hosting nearly 30 competitions a year from local all the way up to the international.”
McInnis notes from the hospital bed that this is far from a one man show. “We have an incredibly passionate staff, dedicated and extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of sport and business, capped with a Board of Directors dedicated to accountability, and finally the best volunteers anywhere in Canada and that is why we are simply the best!”
“We openly welcome any other clubs in Canada to try to rival what we do in Ottawa. The more clubs that attempt to mirror us, the stronger our sport will become,” quipped McInnis, who is expected to be released from the hospital later today.
