Van Buskirk

Kate Van Buskirk has dreamt of competing in the Olympics since she was nine years old. She can even tell you the exact moment that she fell in love with the sport. It was 1996 and Donovan Bailey tore across the finish line in Atlanta in world-record time, with the Maple Leaf blazing like Superman’s emblem on his chest. That image became etched in Van Buskirk’s mind, and she knew in that moment that she wanted to experience it for herself. But little did she know that she would face obstacle after obstacle in pursuit of her Olympic dream.

Finally, injury-free and racing for the first time in more than a year, Van Buskirk laid down the fourth-fastest time in Canadian history in the 5,000 metres going sub-15 for the first time in her career on May 15. Was it the jaw-dropping performance by her teammate Andrea Seccafien the night before, or the extra time spent recovering and rebuilding her fitness after a series of injuries? Either way, 14:59.80 – a 16-second personal best – is an impressive feat when facing a very crowded and deep field to sit under the Olympic standard for the first time in her career.

A talented middle- and long-distance runner, Van Buskirk had a stellar junior career that saw her win multiple provincial and Canadian championships and represent Canada at the NACAC and World Cross Country Championships and Pan American Junior Championships. Some say her success can be attributed to coach Joe Sax, a former Canadian record-holding steeplechaser who died of a massive heart attack while out for a run with the aspiring Olympian.

Van Buskirk’s success ultimately landed her a scholarship to Duke University where she spent parts of five years competing for the Blue Devils, becoming a two-time All-American and NCAA recordholder, and representing Canada at the 2011 FISU Summer Universiade where she finished 10th in the 1,500 metres in a time of 4:12.28, despite struggling with depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder.

Following graduation, Van Buskirk worked three part-time jobs to explore her potential as a professional runner, leaning on her parents so she could train full-time in 2013. That gamble paid off as she ran personal-best after personal-best in the 1,500 metres, qualified for the IAAF World Championships and placed fourth at the Francophonie Games. But the injury bug bit her late in the season, forcing her to miss the cross country season to deal with posterior tibial tendonitis and some underlying biomechanical issues.

Van Buskirk finally got a taste of what it would feel like to be an Olympic medallist when she crossed the finish line at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, as the 1,500-metre bronze medallist. She was on a high and looking forward to competing in the Diamond League and World Challenge Meets. But a week after returning home, a torn hamstring tendon changed everything.

The injury ended her season and forced her into extensive rehab, only to experience frequent pain in her pelvis and lower back when she finally returned to the track. The pain prevented her from running with any consistency and left her in excruciating pain, ultimately causing her to miss the 2015 World Championships and Pan American Games. That October, Van Buskirk was tested for a rare gene called HLA B27, and she was diagnosed with spondyloarthropathy, an inflammatory rheumatic disease that affects the major joints of the body.

Van Buskirk’s 2016 season closely paralleled 2015. Her physical struggles persisted, and her emotional state hit an all-time low. She withdrew her name from the Olympic Trials, put her track spikes on the shelf and closed the door on her Olympic dreams for that summer. She detached from the sport, took time for her body and mind to heal, and then returned to training later that fall.

The Brampton native returned to the track in 2017, winning the 3,000 metres at the historic Millrose Games. Optimism replaced all doubts and she genuinely looked forward to the season ahead. Though she wasn’t named to Team Canada for the World Championships, she produced solid results and finally knew better days were ahead.

And so they were. In January of 2018, Van Buskirk broke Shelia Reid’s Canadian mile record of 4:27.04 by shattering her own personal best running 4:26.9 at the Dr. Sander Invitational in New York. She captured gold at the Montreal Grand Prix and then was named to Team Canada for the IAAF World Indoor Championships. There she ran a personal best of 4:09.42 in the 1,500 metres, and then later that year, she went on to capture bronze at the 2018 NACAC Championships as the Co-Captain of Team Canada.

Nearly 25 years later, Van Buskirk’s Olympic dream will come full circle when she laces up for the 5,000 metres at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in arguably the best shape, both physically and mentally, of her life.