Name: Laura Brown
Sport: Track Cycling
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Nickname: Brownie
Favorite Sports Memory: Qualifying for the Gold Medal Final at my first World Cup race. The team was down from the American’s for the entire first half and then we slowly but surely clawed our way back to take the win. It was my first World Cup and first World Cup win all in one. It was a special moment looking up at the scoreboard after crossing the line and reading “Canada GOLD.”
How you got involved in your sport: I was a gymnast since the age of 3 and at 14 I was injured and unable to train anymore. My coach at the time suggested I try cycling after watching me ride a stationary bike at a spin class. My mom signed me up for the “Fast and the Curious” Track Camp in Calgary in 2002 and I’ve been in love with the sport ever since.
The moment you knew you wanted to represent Canada: Watching Lilia Podkopayeva at the 1996 Olympic Summer Games perform her floor routine in the all-around final; she had perfect execution of a move that men had a hard time performing. She took my breath away and won a gold medal for her country. Even as a 9-year old girl, I knew in that moment I wanted to do the same for my sport and country.
Favorite Quote: “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
CAN Fund Testimonial: Receiving the CAN Fund means I can focus on putting everything into my training and preparation for London 2012. Now I do not have to worry about the cost of purchasing necessary equipment or nutrition – I can prepare myself as best I can with no financial stress. What a bonus!
Best Result: 2009 Cali, Colombia World Cup – GOLD
Fun Facts: I can walk across an entire gym floor on my hands
Website: www.laurabrowncycling.com
