Bio:
Dr. Linda Thyer was born in Montreal on March 20, 1968 but was raised in Nelson B.C. At McGill, she studied family medicine, earned Academic All-Canadian honours five times and graduated with an MDCM in 1994.
She became the first athlete in McGill history to earn All-Canadian status in two sports in the same season and ended up earning that award five times in cross-country and four times in track and field.
In four trips to the CIAU track championships, she racked up six medals, including four golds, one silver and a bronze. In five trips to the CIAU cross-country "Nationals", she earned one gold and two silvers.
Thyer led McGill to five straight cross-country conference championships and never lost a Quebec university meet, winning 17 in a row. In 25 meets overall, she won 19 races and had four second-place finishes.
Thyer became the first McGill student to earn the Gladys Bean trophy three times as female athlete of the year (1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95). She was a national finalist for the Howard-Mackie Award (now known as the BLG Award) in 1994 and then won the Howard-Mackie honours as CIAU athlete of the year in 1995. She also won an unprecedented 20 athlete-of-the-week awards, including a record 17 in the Quebec conference, plus three CIAU national weekly honours.
She ran for Canada at the 1993 world cross-country championships in Spain and also competed at three World Ekiden Marathon Relay meets (1993 and 1994 in Japan and 1994 in China).
After completing a fellowship at the McGill Sport Medicine Clinic a few years ago, she moved to Vancouver, and is expecting her second child in July.
Honours
BLG Award nominee for CIS athlete of the year (1994-95 (BLG Award winner))
- earned the QSSF conference nomination for the BLG award and won this award as the CIS level
BLG Award nominee for CIS athlete of the year (1993-94)
- earned the QSSF conference nomination for the BLG award
All-Canadian (1991-92)
CIAU All-Canadian
Career highlights in capsule form:
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- Competed for McGill in both cross country and track & field.
- served as a physician at St. Mary's Hospital in Montreal, she also had a fellowship with the McGill Sportmedicine Clinic
- winner of the 1994-95 "Howard, Mackie Award" as CIAU female athlete-of-the-year
- named three times as McGill's Female Athlete of the Year (1995, 1994 and 1992)
- was also one of five national finalists for 1993-94 "Howard, Mackie Award"
- competed for Team Canada at the 1993 world cross-country championships in Spain
- twice competed for Team Canada in 1994 at International Road Races in Japan and China
- a CIAU Academic All-Canadian in 1992
- a five-time All-Canadian in cross-country (including one second team selection); tied the CIAU record with four consecutive first team selections
- a four-time All-Canadian in Track & Field
- named Team MVP five consecutive years in cross-country and once in track & field
- the first McGill athlete to be named a CIAU All-Canadian in two sports in the same school year (1991-92), has repeated the double All-Canadian status for each of the past four years
- led McGill to the QSSF cross-country championship in each of her five seasons
- did not lose a x-country league meet in 5 years and won 17 consecutive QSSF league meets dating back to 1990-91; won 19 of 25 meets over-all (with four 2nd-place finishes, one 4th-place finish, one 8th-place finish)
- won 20 Athlete of the Week awards over five seasons (17 times in the QSSF and 3 times in the CIAU)
1994-95 Cross-country highlights:
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- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- named Team MVP
- became the first QSSF athlete to win gold at CIAU championships (ran 5k race in 17:46.62 in London, Ont)
- won gold at the QSSF championships in Lennoxville, Que. (led McGill to the QSSF championship)
- won gold at the Laval Invitational (breaking own course record)
- won silver at the non-conference Western Ontario Invitational (was the top CIAU runner)
- won gold at the McGill Invitational (broke course record)
- won a 1994 Quebec Foundation Award for Athletic Excellence
- went undefeated against CIAU opponents in 5 races: won 4 golds, 1 silver (placed second to an American)
- won three QSSF Athlete of the Week awards and two CIAU Athlete of the Week honours
1994-95 Track & Field highlights:
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- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- named Team MVP
- won gold in the 3000m at the CIAU championships in Winnipeg, Man.
- won three golds at the QSSF track championships in Sherbrooke: in the 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m
- broke QSSF record in 4x800m relay at the CIAU championships @ Winnipeg (ran anchor leg)
- won gold in the 3000m at the Toronto Track Classic
- won gold in the 1500m at the McGill Open Track Meet (establishing McGill meet and McGill track records)
- won gold in the "Inaugural McGill Mile" race (established McGill fieldhouse record)
- won one QSSF Athlete of the Week award
Community Service:
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- as part of pre-internship curriculum, she performed "clerkship duties" working in patient care at six Montreal Hospitals over the past three years
- was McGill Martlets 1993-94 cross-country team representative to the McGill Intercollegiate Sports Council
- organizer for McGill Faculty of Medicine Blood Drive in 1990-91
- actively involved in fundraising for McGill Track & Field team in 1991-92 and 1992-93
- asst. program coordinator, working with elderly people at "Adult Day Care Centre" , Nelson,BC (1986)
- worked with "Meals on Wheels" organization in Nelson, BC (1986)
1993-94 Highlights:
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- named McGill's Female Athlete of the Year (Gladys Bean Trophy)
In cross-country:
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- despite mononucleosis, she bounced back to finish first in 3 of 5 university races and was second twice
- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- named Team MVP
- member of Team Canada at the 1993 world cross-country championships in Spain
- finished fourth at the 1993 Canadian open cross-country trials (civil) in Vancouver, B.C.
- won silver at the CIAU championships in Halifax
- won gold at QSSF championships in Rimouski (led McGill to the QSSF championship)
- won silver at the University of Washington Invitational
- won gold at the University of Western Ontario Invitational
- won gold at the McGill Invitational
- earned two QSSF Athlete of the Week honors (Sept. 27,Oct. 25)
In track & field
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- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- won gold and bronze medals at the 1994 CIAU championships in Edmonton (her gold medal 1500m time was 4:34.07 - the 4th quickest in the CIAU; her bronze medal 3000m time of 9:51.80 was the 5th- fastest in the CIAU)
- competed for Team Canada (for the second consecutive year) at the 1994 Yokohama International Women's Ekiden Meet in Japan and the 1994 Beijing International Women's Ekiden Meet in China (Feb. 14-28, 1994)
- went to the Athletics Canada national track & field championships in Coquitlam, B.C. (August 1993) with great expectations only to discover she had contracted mononucleosis
- ran one of the fastest 3000m races in Canada with a time of 9:13.00 at Molson Stadium (in July 1993)
1992-93 Highlights:
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In cross country:
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- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- named Team MVP
- finished fourth at the 1992 CIAU championships in Montreal
- won gold at the 5k QSSF championship meet in Montreal (led McGill to the QSSF championship)
- won gold at the 4.3k Laval Invitational
- won gold at the 4k Sherbrooke Invitational
- won gold at the 5k McGill Invitational in 20:07.89 (41.90 seconds ahead of the silver medalist)
- won gold at 5k Plattsburgh State Invitational in 18:38, some 57 seconds ahead of closest rival
- earned 5 Athlete of the Week honors (1 in CIAU: Oct. 19; 4 in QSSF: Sept 21, Sept 28, Oct 19, Oct 26)
In track & field:
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- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- at the 1993 CIAU championships in the SkyDome - became the second McGill female ever to win gold at the CIAUs, winning the 3000m; also won silver in the 1500m
- competed for Team Canada at '93 Yokohama International Women's Ekiden Meet in Japan
1991-92 Highlights:
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- Named McGill's Female Athlete of the Year (Gladys Bean Trophy)
In cross country:
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- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- named Team MVP
- earned CIAU Academic All-Canadian status
- team captain of McGill cross-country team
- won silver at the CIAU championships in Victoria, B.C., only two seconds behind the gold medal winner
- won silver at the Quebec open (FAQ) track championships in Montreal
- won gold at the QSSF championships in Quebec City (1:17 ahead of silver); led McGill to QSSF championship
- won gold at the 4k Sherbrooke meet in 14:52, some 31 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor
- won gold at 4.3k Laval Meet in meet record time of 15:18.33, 29 seconds ahead of previous record
- won gold at 4k McGill Invitational (broke meet record by 36 seconds) in 14:30,16 seconds ahead of next rival
- earned four QSSF Athlete of the Week honors (Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Oct. 28, Nov. 11)
In track & field:
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- a CIAU first-team All-Canadian
- won silver in the 3,000m at the CIAU championships in Winnipeg
- won two golds at the QSSF championships in Sherbrooke: finished first in the 3,000m breaking her own McGill record and posting the third fastest time in the CIAU this season. Also ran the fastest leg on McGill's first-place finish in the 4 x 800m relay
- won gold in the 1,000m at the Toronto Open track meet with a time of 4:47
- competing in first-ever indoor track competition, placed fifth overall in the 3,000m with a McGill record time of 9:52.7 at the Syracuse Meet, to qualify for the CIAU national championships
1990-91 Highlights:
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In cross country:
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- a CIAU second-team All-Canadian
- finished eighth at the CIAU championships in Ottawa
- won gold at the 5k QSSF championships in Magog in 18:50 (led McGill to the QSSF championship)
- won gold at the 4k Sherbrooke Invitational in 24:07, some 50 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor
- won gold at in her first ever cross-country race - the 4k McGill Invitational in 15:06.9
- earned three QSSF Athlete of the Week honors (Oct. 1, Oct.9, Oct.29)
In track & field:
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- did not compete in this sport during her first year in medicine
Miscellaneous notes:
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- hobbies include downhill skiing, hiking, backpacking; has played piano for 15 years
- hiked with a climbing expedition in Nepal (Nov. - Dec. 1989); climbed Mt. Tilicho (26,000 feet)
- graduated in Kinesiology (BSc) at Simon Fraser University in 1989 (President's List Honour Roll) after a four-year academic (Steele) entrance scholarship; also received an Open academic scholarship (1986-89)
- she has competed in nine triathlons, winning three of them:
- won Sasview Triathlon in Vancouver (July 1, 1990)
- won Cowichan Challenge in Duncan, B.C. (July 24, 1990)
- competed in 1990 Ironman Canada Triathlon in Penticton, B.C. (placed 190th out of 946 men & women; placed second in her age group)
- competed in 1991 Ironman Canada Triathlon in Penticton, B.C. (placed 6th overall among women; placed first in her age group with a time of 10:10.34)
- competed in 1991 National Capital Marathon in Ottawa, Ont. (placed 6th overall among women; placed first in her age group with a time of 2:59.18)
