Perdita Felicien (born August 29, 1980) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

retired

hurdler Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

. Felicien is the 2003 World champion in the 100 metres hurdles and 2004 World indoor champion in the 60 metres hurdles. She also won silver medals at the 2007 World Championships, the 2010 World Indoor Championships, and twice at the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

. Her best time for the 100 metres hurdles of 12.46 secs from 2004 still stands as the Canadian record.

Early life

Born in

Oshawa, Ontario Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the G ...

, Felicien carries her mother's maiden name, whose origins are in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

island nation of

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

. Her mother named her "Perdita" after she heard the name on the TV game show, ''

The Price is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also inc ...

.'' Felicien moved to

Pickering, Ontario Pickering (2021 population 99,186) is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada, immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. Beginning in the 1770s, the area was settled by primarily ethnic British colonists. An increase in population occurre ...

, where, as a student, she began competing in

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

events at her school. She was motivated to join the school's track and field team after receiving an Award of Excellence in the Canada Fitness Award Program in grade 3. At first, she competed in the 100m dash, inspired by Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin of Canada, later adding the 200m dash and long jump. Felicien dedicated herself to hurdling at

Pine Ridge Secondary School Pine Ridge Secondary School is a public secondary school located in Pickering, Ontario operating within the Durham District School Board. It serves students in grades 9 through 12. Location The school is situated outside a natural conservati ...

and won the

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

high-school hurdling championship in 1998. That year she added the first of two consecutive Canadian junior championships. Her performance at a scholastic meet in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

brought offers of athletic scholarships from a number of U.S. universities, from which she chose the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

, where she enrolled in the study of

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human health ...

Career

Coached by Gary Winckler, in her first year competing at the university level, Felicien earned All-American honors and in the 100m hurdles set the record for the fastest time by a freshman in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

history for the event. The following year she was ranked No. 1 in the 100 m hurdles by the NCAA for the entire outdoor season, and was the first Illinois athlete ever to win a national championship during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Her performance earned her the first of three consecutive University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year awards, and she was voted the U.S. Track Coaches Association National Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year. An undefeated Felicien won her second consecutive 100 m hurdles national title in 2003. She became the first University of Illinois female athlete to be named the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

"Athlete of the Year", and also earned NCAA Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors. Felicien blossomed into a major force on the international hurdling scene, topping off her season by winning the women's 100 m Hurdles Final at the

2003 World Championships in Athletics The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. Men's results ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. With that win, Felicien became Canada's first ever female world gold medallist and the first female in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

track & field history to win a gold medal in an individual event at the World Championships. She was named Canada's female athlete of the year – the first track athlete to capture that honor in 25 years. A much-anticipated showdown with hurdling great

Gail Devers Yolanda Gail Devers ( ; born November 19, 1966) is an American retired track and field sprinter who competed in the 60 metres, 60 m hurdles, 100 m and 100 m hurdles. One of the greatest and most decorated female sprinters of all time, she was t ...

took place in March 2004. Felicien set a new record in defeating the three-time hurdles world champion in the 60 m hurdle final at the

2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) were held in the Budapest Arena, Hungary between March 5 and March 7, 2004. A total off 139 countries were re ...

Budapest, Hungary Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population of ...

. She chalked up six straight wins leading up to the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

Athens, Greece Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, where she was expected to win gold in the 100 m hurdles on August 24, especially after Devers pulled out with an injury. Unexpectedly, in the event final, Felicien failed to clear the first hurdle and fell into the adjacent lane, knocking down the Russian competitor, Irina Shevchenko, and taking her out of the race and a chance at an Olympic medal, much to the obvious dismay of Shevchenko. Felicien returned to the track and had some success, winning medals at the world championships alongside her teammate

Priscilla Lopes-Schliep Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (born 26 August 1982) is a Canadian retired hurdler in track and field athletic competition. She was born in Scarborough, Ontario, and currently lives in Whitby. Personal Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Lopes-Schliep's h ...

. In 2007, she won a silver medal at the world championships in the 100 metre hurdles. Felicien did not compete in the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

due to a foot injury. In August 2008, she was a guest commentator for

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

's 2008 Olympics coverage of hurdles. During the summer of 2011, Felicien relocated to the University of Calgary in Alberta to train under the tutelage of former national team head coach, Les Gramantik, and her old coach, Gary Winckler. She also partnered with Jessica Zelinka, ranked the sixth-best heptathlete in the world. In June 2012, Felicien failed to qualify for the Canadian Olympic team for the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. She had finished third in the 2012 Canadian Olympic trials for track and field, in the 100m hurdles event, under protest. However, she false started, and was disqualified. Felicien retired from competition in 2013. She went back to school to study journalism, and was a writer/reporter with '' CHCH News'' in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...

. She was part of the broadcasting team for the Toronto 2015 PanAm Games coverage. In 2018, Felicien joined the CBC TV network broadcasting the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in South Korea and later the Tokyo Olympics (2021). Since 2020, Felicien has been the host of ''

All-Round Champion ''All-Round Champion'' is a Canadian children's television series, which premiered in 2020. Hosted by Perdita Felicien, the series features several high-achieving teen athletes from both Canada and the United States, placing them in a competition s ...

'', a TV series produced by Marblemedia for

TV Ontario TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario E ...

and

BYU TV BYU TV (stylized as BYUtv) is a television channel, founded in 2000, which is owned and operated as a part of Brigham Young University (BYU). The channel, available through cable and satellite distributors in the United States, produces a number ...

Charity

Felicien is a supporter of Count Me In, the largest youth-run organization in Canada. She spoke at the 2013 Count Me In Conference in Toronto. She is also an active ambassador for Right To Play.

Track & field accomplishments

2011 * Harry Jerome International Track Classic Winner in the 100 metre hurdles in 12:79 secs. *Canadian National Champion (10th Title) 2010 *World Indoor Silver Medallist *60m hurdles 7.86 *Drake Relays Hall of Fame Inductee *Continental Cup Bronze Medallist 2009 *Canadian National Champion *World Championship Finalist 2008 *Injured 2007 * 2007 IAAF World Championships Silver Medallist 100m hurdles-12.49 *Pan Am Games Silver Medallist *Canadian Track and Field Athlete of the Year *2007 Ontario Female Athlete of the Year 2005 *Canadian National Champion *World Championship Semi-Finalist 2004 * World Indoor Champion in the 60 m hurdles *Olympic Finalist *Canadian National Champion *City of Pickering Civic Award *Canadian Track and Field Athlete of the Year 2003 *

World Champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

in the 100 m hurdles *

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

Champion in the 60 m and 100 m hurdles * Drake Relays Most Outstanding Athlete *Canadian Female Athlete of the Year *Canadian Track and Field Athlete of the Year *Canadian National Champion *Pan Am Games Silver Medallist *University of Illinois Athlete of the Year *Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Year 2002 *

Champion in the 100 m hurdles * University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year * Drake Relays Most Outstanding Athlete * NCAA Record holder in the 60 m hurdles, 7.90 seconds * NCAA Champion in the 60 m hurdles * Big Ten Champion in the 60 m hurdles * All-American in the 60 m hurdles *Canadian National Champion *University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year 2001 * All-American in the 100 m hurdles * All-American in the 60 m hurdles * USTCA National Female Athlete of the Year * Big Ten Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year * University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year * Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year * World Track and Field Championship Semifinalist *Francophone Games Champion *University of Illinois Female Athlete of the Year 2000 *Olympian * Big Ten Outdoor Freshman of the Year * All-American in the 100 m hurdles *Canadian National Champion 1999 *Canadian Junior Champion 100mh 1998 *Canadian Junior Champion 100mh *OFSAA 100mh Record Holder-13.41 *1998 OFSAA Champion 100mh *1998 OFSAA Silver 100m *1998 OFSAA Champion 200m-24.67 1997 OFSAA Silver Medallist 100m

References

*
Perdita Felicien Is a Canadian Hurdler By Sarah Luoma
{{DEFAULTSORT:Felicien, Perdita 1980 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 Pan American Games Black Canadian female track and field athletes Canadian female hurdlers Canadian people of Saint Lucian descent Olympic track and field athletes of Canada People from Pickering, Ontario Sportspeople from Oshawa Track and field athletes from Ontario World Athletics Championships medalists Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) World Athletics Indoor Championships winners World Athletics Championships winners Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games Illinois Fighting Illini women's track and field athletes