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The 19th edition of the Pan American Games concluded on a chilly Sunday evening at Parque Bicentenario in Santiago, Chile. This two-week multi-sport extravaganza saw Canada achieve its second-best medal haul in a non-home Games, with two standout athletes, Keira Christie-Galloway and Stephen Evans, using the platform as a stepping stone towards the upcoming Olympic Games.

Keira Christie-Galloway, a talented hurdler, was the first to hit the track in Santiago. She delivered a solid performance during the 100-meter hurdle semi-final on Halloween night. Qualifying for the final, Keira finished third in her race with a time of 13.36 seconds.

Following her heat, Keira shared her thoughts with Martin Cleary of Ottawa Sport Pages, saying, “I felt good. I went into the race thinking I’ll run my own race and execute. I got out and had a clean race.”

However, the following night presented a stark contrast in weather conditions, as temperatures dropped by 10 degrees Celsius to a chilly 11 degrees, accompanied by rain. In a race where none of the runners managed to break the 13-second barrier, Keira finished in 8th place with a time of 13.60 seconds.

Last Friday night, it was Stephen Evans’ turn to shine. Competing for Canada for the first time, the 800-meter club record holder showcased his talents on the international stage, securing a fourth-place finish in the first of three semi-finals.

As the runners hit the bell lap, Evans was only two-tenths of a second behind the leader. Despite making strong surges in the final 200 meters, the 27-year-old couldn’t secure one of the two automatic qualifying positions, finishing with a time of 1 minute and 48.98 seconds. Evans’ result would place him 12th overall in the final standings.

The performances from Keira and Stephen at the Pan American Games serve as a promising indication of their potential in the lead-up to next summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

333 days. That’s how many days it’s been since Keira Christie-Galloway stepped on to the track at Clemson University to open her 2022-23 competition season. Tonight she steps on to the track in the Julio Martinez National Stadium in Santiago, Chile for the opening round of the 100 metre hurdles at the Pan American Games. 

For Keira, by all accounts, this competition year has been a long one, but she’s found the necessary balance to feel rested heading into her second Pan Am Games, while still staying sharp. She attributes much of her preparation to mental strength and just showing up everyday as well as taking the necessary space to do the things she enjoys on the weekend.

“It is important to have balance,” says Christie-Galloway of her approach to this long season. ”For me that looks like cooking and baking, which has helped me ground myself in preparation for the games.”

She admits that she is looking forward to taking some time to rest after a long season that has seen her step into the starting blocks nearly 30 times.

As a graduate student-athlete at Grand Canyon University in Arizona, Keira re-wrote the Antelopes record book in what was her final year of NCAA competition. The Arizona State graduate broke the GCU indoor hurdles mark in February with a run of 8.17 seconds that equalled her four-year old best. Outdoors got even faster as she blazed her way to a time of a lifetime best of 13.01 to win the Western Athletic Conference outdoor title. 

After qualifying for her second NCAA Championship, Keira’s summer season remained relatively quiet in the lead-up to Santiago. Just two races at the Canadian Championships in Langley, where she finished fourth.

While not competing, she did have the opportunity to join her partner Turner Washington at the World Championships in Hungary. Washington was a member of Team USA in the discus after placing second at their national championships. 

Sharing Turner’s experiences throughout the season and witnessing his achievement of competing at the World Championships has been a valuable source of inspiration and support for Keira in her preparations for Santiago. 

“We have leaned on each other a lot this past season and I have been able to accomplish a lot with his support.”

As she heads into tonight’s race, Keira can draw upon her past experiences. Four years ago in Lima, Peru she was the youngest member of Canada’s athletics team at just 19 years old. She says her take away from the Championship was to run her own race and be confident in her own abilities.

Keira’s semi-final is scheduled for 5:25 pm Eastern, where she will be running to qualify for Wednesday’s final.

“I hope to take in this opportunity and really cherish the memories I will be making.”

You can watch Keira compete live on CBC Gem.