Three weeks ago, at the Bell Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials in Montreal, Mariam Abdul-Rashid of Oshawa, Ont., saw her childhood dreams come true—qualifying to compete for Canada at an Olympic Games in the women’s 100m hurdles. For Abdul-Rashid, it has been a journey spanning more than two decades, but she believes anything is possible, and that the sky’s the limit.
Abdul-Rashid’s Olympic dreams began in 2004, when her parents took her to a track program with Durham Region Athletics, because they said she had too much energy running around on the farm. “I was way too young,” she laughs. “I remember my dad convincing the coach at the time to let me attend one practice—the rest was history.”
Abdul-Rashid was with the Durham program for five years before joining the Speed Academy, led by former Canadian Olympian Tony Sharpe. Sharpe has an eye for potential world-class sprinters, having formerly coached Paris 2024 Olympians Andre De Grasse, Christopher Morales Williams and Duan Asemota. “I came to Tony to get to that next level,” Abdul-Rashid says. “He knows and loves track, plus he’s super supportive.”
The 26-year-old had an exceptional high school career as a 100m/200m sprinter, moving to the 400m hurdles in her senior years, which led her to a scholarship from the University of Texas, also coached by a former Canadian Olympian Edrick Floréal. “My 400m hurdles began to plateau, and I started to get better at the 100m hurdles,” Abdul-Rashid recalls. “I remember people telling me at the time it wasn’t the right move.”
Abdul-Rashid found her spark during the 2024 indoor season, when she set four personal bests in four weeks to become only the sixth Canadian woman to run sub-eight seconds in the women’s 60m hurdles. Her times led her to the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, where she reached the women’s 60m hurdles semi-finals. The string of solid performances continued into the outdoor season, smashing her 100m hurdles personal best with 12.69 seconds in late April, well under the Olympic 100m hurdles standard of 12.77 seconds.
World Indoor Championships 🤘
Mariam Abdul-Rashid finishes ninth in the 60-meter hurdle semi finals matching her PB time of 7.99🤘#WhatStartsHere x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/tIkCAuCNXf
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) March 3, 2024
Having met the Olympic standard, Abdul-Rashid’s job at the Canadian Trials was clear—win the women’s 100m hurdles event and secure her spot. Her reaction when she saw her 20-year dream come to fruition was pure elation, and she let out a scream. She will now follow in the footsteps of her Canadian Olympic heroes Perdita Felicien and Phylicia George.
“I think I’ll have the ‘oh my god, this is happening’ moment when I get there,” Abdul-Rashid says. “I feel like I’m right where I need to be, and I’m ready to take it in.”
Abdul-Rashid’s ultimate goal in Paris is to reach the final or run a personal best in front of her family, who will be there to support and cheer her on. “And anything could happen, so maybe a national record too,” she adds. Her Olympic journey will begin in the women’s 100m hurdles heats on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
