Catriona Le May Doan
3-Time Olympic Medalist
Officer of the Order of Canada
Lead Athlete Mentor for 2018 Olympic Winter Games
Senior Director, Community & Sport Engagement, Sport Calgary
Catriona Le May Doan was the fastest woman on ice. After carrying the Canadian flag into the 2002 Olympic Winter Games opening ceremony (her fourth Olympics), Catriona defended her Olympic title with a Gold medal performance in the 500 metre event, becoming the first Canadian individual, and the only female Canadian individual, to defend a gold medal at any Olympic games. She held the World Record in the 500m for 10 years. During her career Catriona broke 13 World Records.
In 1998, at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games, Catriona won her first Olympic Gold medal in the 500m in Olympic record time, then added an Olympic Bronze Medal in the 1000m event. She finished the 1998 season first overall in the World Cup standings in both the 500m and 1000m events. In 1999 Catriona’s domination in the speed skating world continued when she finished first overall in the World Cup standings for the 500m event.
Catriona’s accomplishments have earned her the 2002 Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year and she is a three-time recipient (1998, 2001, 2002) of the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award for Canadian Female Athlete of the Year award.
Catriona has covered five Olympic Games and co-hosted the primetime show Countdown to Beijing. She joined the CTV Olympic broadcast team for the Vancouver 2010 Games, which earned her a Gemini for Best Sports Analyst. Catriona continued her work with CTV, as co-host of Olympic Morning for the London 2012 Games. She was one of four athletes to light the cauldron at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony. She has taken the position of Lead, Athlete Mentor for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
Catriona was given three honorary degrees, and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Sports Hall of Fame and appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada – one of Canada’s highest honours.
Catriona has been a board member with VANOC and Winsport, and still actively involved in the Canada Games Council, Special Olympics Canada, Canadian Sport Institute Calgary, Red Deer 2019, and various other charity organizations.
Catriona works with Sport Calgary in helping to advance amateur sport in Calgary as Senior Director of Community and Sport Engagement.
Catriona lives in Calgary with two children, Greta and Easton.
Leadership with a Purpose
Catriona’s career has taken her from standing on top of the Olympic podium, to promoting community sport, being a broadcaster and now being an athlete mentor for the 2018 Olympic Games. In each of these leadership roles the purpose and definition of success is different. Being a great leader is helping others to achieve their full potential. Sometimes we lead from the front and pave the way for others to come after us. Sometimes we guide from the back - as mentors and support. Either way, being a leader is committing that we will try to go farther than we thought possible and along the way, showing others that success is a discovery that has many adventures! Catriona will bring her stories of success, the leadership lessons she has learned along the way in achieving excellence and the wonder of behind the scenes stories of the 2018 Olympics Winter Games.