By Sarah Tone, Communications Coordinator
From competitor to coach, only 24 years old, and already a veteran of six Canada Games, Mary Prendergast is a true Games junkie – a competitor turned coach.
Mary began competitive athletics as a speed skater, and later became a cyclist, which happens to be the same competitive path as Manitoban Olympian Clara Hughes. Her brother Chris nudged her into cycling, and although she competed in speed skating for years, her passion, for now, is cycling.
As far as Games experience goes, Mary has been a part of:
– 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George as a long track speed skater
– 2015 Western Canada Summer Games in Wood Buffalo as a road cyclist
– 2017 Canada Games in Winnipeg as a cyclist
– 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer as a mentor speed score skating coach for short track skating
– 2019 Western Canada Summer Games in Swift Current as an assistant coach in cycling, and now
– 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara as the head coach of both mountain biking and road cycling
To say the cycling season in preparation for Summer Games was busy, would be an understatement. Mary has literally driven bikes across western Canada and the northern United States for the last four months as Manitoba cyclists competed in Penticton BC, Iowa, Kenmore Alberta, Wisconsin, Falcon Lake, and Chicago, all with Mary at the helm.
You might wonder how Mary gets time off for a real job to travel and train aspiring Olympians. Mary credits the Canadian Armed Forces for their understanding and willingness to allow her to do so. She’s a full-time reservist working in human resources, based out of Winnipeg. She guesses that she has worked less than five days in her HR job over the past four months.
Also an animal lover, Mary has two dogs, Max and Trixie, and two cats, Fillet and Simba. Her parents and an understanding roommate have helped her care for them to be able to meet the demands of the past few months.
