Long distance runner Rachel Cliff joins #OTP to talk career highs and lows, including how she overcame missing out on the Olympics not once, but twice.

Rachel grew up running but only got serious about it in grade 10. Her strength was the 3, 5 & 10km races, where she won a bronze in the 10,000m at the 2018 NACAC Championship. Prior to that win, she had her heart set on the 2016 Rio Olympics, but failed to qualify. That’s when she decided to switch specialities and move to the marathon. It was a natural fit as she set the Canadian record in the half-marathon, then later that year, had the fastest ever debut time by a Canadian woman when she finished 11th at the 2018 Berlin Marathon.

Gunning for a spot on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics roster, Rachel ran the Olympic standard was wasn’t selected to represent Canada in the field. In this week’s episode, she shares the heartbreak of it all, explains the fear of it happening again, and how she has worked to overcome it.

Episode topics:

• Career highs and lows
• Not qualifying for the 2016 Olympics
• Switching from the 3, 5, & 10 km to marathon
• Qualifying for but not being named to the 2020 Olympic team
• What her future in the sport holds

Quote:  

“There are athletes who missed these Olympics like I did in 2016 and for some of them, this will motivate them and they’ll be at the next ones. And there are others who missed these Olympics and it won’t work out in three years either. And I think it’s just important that people know that both sides of the story can be happy.”

-Rachel Cliff

Resources:

Guest Info – Rachel Cliff

Instagram: @raecliff

Twitter: @dangerous_cliff

Host Info – Christina Heydanus

Instagram: @tinaheydanus

Twitter: @tinaheydanus

Show Info – Opening the Playbook

Instagram: @openingtheplaybook

Facebook: Opening the Playbook