The Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club is thrilled to extend its heartfelt congratulations to Canadian Olympian Sultana Frizell on her well-deserved induction into the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame. This prestigious recognition is a testament to Frizell’s outstanding accomplishments, particularly in the hammer throw, and marks another historic milestone in her illustrious athletic career. The induction ceremony took place this past Saturday as part of Athletics Ontario’s annual Awards Gala.
Sultana Frizell, a name synonymous with excellence in Canadian athletics, enjoyed an athletics career spanning nearly two decades that saw her represent Canada internationally on 18 separate occasions. Her journey in the sport began at the young age of 14 where she took home a pair of national titles from the Royal Canadian Legion Championships. A year later she was Canadian Under-20 Champion in the shot put and would compete for Canada in a dual meet against the United States.
Frizell’s journey would only continue upwards from there, winning 13 Canadian age-class titles by the time she enrolled as a freshman at the University of Georgia. At the age of 23, Frizell set her first Canadian record in the hammer throw and subsequently broke it three more times that same year en-route to qualifying for her first Olympic team in Beijing.
Over the following 10 years, Frizell would break the Canadian record in the hammer throw five more times – extending the mark out to what was then a North American record of 75.73 metres in 2014. During the same period, the Perth native made her second Olympic team (2012), represented Canada at three World Championships, won two Commonwealth Games titles, and was twice a medallist at the Pan American Games.
Beyond her 7 Canadian senior titles and 12 national records in the hammer throw and weight throw, Frizell’s greatest legacy in the sport will be on the people around her. Undeniably one of the most loved personalities in our sport, Frizell’s success in the field helped inspire a generation of female throwers in Canada the likes of which we have never seen before. One of the kindest people you will meet, she has always been willing to take the time to help younger athletes get better at their craft.
As the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, we stand alongside Athletics Ontario in applauding Frizell’s remarkable career and recognizing her invaluable contributions to the sport and her role as a true Canadian sporting icon. Her story is a source of inspiration for all who share a passion for track and field.