LOCAL HISTORY Paris Athletes Shine at Olympic Games

Last week, Paris Independent Sports Columnist George LeGresley challenged me to name athletes from Paris, Ontario, who have competed in the Olympic Games, aside from the renowned Syl Apps Intrigued by the task, I embarked on a journey to uncover the hidden gems of Parisian Olympic history. Here's what I discovered:

Alexander Thomas Turnbull 1908 Olympics

Alexander Turnbull, also known as 'Dad' Turnbull, was born in either Stratford or nearby Paris, Ontario, between 1863 and 1872. His illustrious career spanned from 1884 to 1918, during which he played for various Toronto and regional clubs.

Some of the notable teams mentioned in newspapers include the Toronto Athletics, Paris Brants, Brockville, Perth, Toronto Junction, Toronto Elms, West Torontos, Peterboros, and finally, the renowned Toronto Tecumsehs.

Alex Turnbull was a member of the Canadian Olympic team that won a gold medal for lacrosse at the 1908 London games, one of two New Westminster players who made the trip to England for the Fourth Olympiad. Canada won the gold medal when they defeated Great Britain by a score of 14-10 on October 24, 1908 – with Turnbull scoring once in the first quarter and bagging a pair of goals in the third In a tournament which featured just two nations and a single match, it would be the last appearance of lacrosse at the Olympics as a fully recognised, non-demonstration sport

Grant McLaren 1972, 1976 Olympics – Born 1948 in Paris, On.

Grant McLaren once held the Canadian records 2-mile indoor record, outdoor 2000m, 3000m, 3 mile, 5000m, 3000m Steeplechase. After a successful running career at the University of Guelph, Grant went on to represent Canada at numerous international events In 1970, he participated at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland where he finished 9th in the 3000m Steeplechase. In 1971, he participated in 3000m Steeplechase at the Pan Am Games, finishing 6th He was also a member of two Olympic teams, donning the Maple Leaf at the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany and the 1976 Games in Montreal, where he ran the 5000m

Mark Daniel Wooden 1984 Olympics

Mark Daniel Wooden, a native of Paris, Ontario, was born on March 23, 1964. This remarkable athlete competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics, representing Canada in baseball Although he did not secure a medal, Wooden's dedication and skill earned him a commendable fifthplace finish in the competition.