Forrester won a spot on the Canadian team in July after jumping 1.95 metres at the Canadian Olympic Trials in Windsor, Ont. It was her sixth Canadian championship and third attempt at the Olympics.
The 31-year-old athlete has been high jumping since she was 17. In that time she said making the Olympic team is something she hoped might occur.
“It’s one of those things that you hope will happen, but you don’t expect it,” said Forrester.
When hope translated into reality for Forrester, she described the feeling as one of jubilation.
“I revelled in the moment for two days then decided I needed to focus,” she said.
The Olympic berth also means Forrester has cleared the hurdles keeping her from sports’ highest competition. She’s happy to have lost the albatross she said was hanging around her neck since 2000.
The 2000 Sydney Olympics was Forrester’s first try to make the cut. It was a technicality that kept her away that year. Although she met the Olympic standard for the height she needed to jump, she was short of jumping the more difficult Canadian requirement. For the Athens Olympics in 2004 she blew out her ankle and was sidelined for all competitions.
Since winning this year’s Canadian Olympic Trials she has been in Europe competing at a number of events. Over the years her career has taken her to the Pan American and Commonwealth Games and is no stranger to international competition. But she knows the Olympics bring bigger presentation and fanfare than those events.
“I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible and trying not to be overwhelmed by expectations,” said Forrester.
She is hesitant to reveal her personal goals for the Olympics.
“If anything, it’s being able to leave it all on the track,” said Forrester.
Forrester lived in Cookstown up until she left for college. She attended elementary school and part of her high school career in Bradford. She transferred to Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, where she graduated in 1995.
Although she was active in track and field throughout high school, when she transferred to BMHS she wasn’t eligible to compete for the local team.
Forrester went on to college in the United States and continued training in high jump.
She is currently training out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. When she is in Toronto Forrester trains at York University.
The Beijing Olympics start Friday, but Forrester won’t compete until Aug. 21.
For more information on Forrester or to send her a good luck message visit www.nicoleforrester.com.
