''The Inside Track'' was a Canadian radio series, which formerly aired on

CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of C ...

. A documentary and

interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

series exploring social and cultural issues in the world of

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

, the program was hosted by Mark Lee, Mary Hynes and Robin Brown at different times during its run."Say goodbye to The Inside Track, one of a kind". ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...

'', June 26, 2009. One of the show's most famous episodes was "The Last Closet", an hour-long special which aired on October 16, 1993. Exploring issues of homophobia in sports, the show was most noted for its interviews with two gay Canadian athletes who still felt the need to disguise their voices due to the risks of coming out while active in sports; when they both did later come out, Mark Leduc and

Mark Tewksbury Mark Roger Tewksbury, (born February 7, 1968) is a Canadian former competitive swimmer. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He also hosted the first season of ''How It's Made'', ...

were revealed to have been the speakers."Leduc remembered as Olympic champ, gay role model"

CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...

, July 24, 2009. Other figures interviewed in the episode included Ed Gallagher,Moment #62: CBC airs "The Last Closet"

Outsports ''Outsports'' is a sports news website concerned with LGBT issues and personalities in amateur and professional sports. The company was founded in 1999 by Cyd Zeigler, Jr. and Jim Buzinski. ''The Outsports Revolution'' (Alyson Publications), by ...

, August 4, 2011. a former football player from the United States who became an anti-homophobia activist after a suicide attempt motivated by his inner conflict over his sexuality left him paraplegic, and Jim Buzinski, a cofounder of the LGBT sports organization

. Outsports would later name the episode one of the 100 most important moments in LGBT sports history. Other episodes of the series included interviews with sports figures such as

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

Chris Bosh Christopher Wesson Bosh (born March 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. A Texas Mr. Basketball in high school, he played one season of college basketball for Georgia Tech before declaring for the 2003 NBA draft. Bo ...

and

Perdita Felicien Perdita Felicien (born August 29, 1980) is a Canadian retired hurdler. 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 Champions ...

, often going beyond their sports careers to talk about issues of personal interest. It was announced on March 26, 2009 that the program would be canceled at the end of the 2008-09 season.

References

External links

''The Inside Track''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inside Track, The CBC Radio One programs Canadian sports radio programs Documentaries about sports 2009 disestablishments in Canada Canadian talk radio programs Canadian documentary radio programs 1980s Canadian radio programs 1990s Canadian radio programs 2000s Canadian radio programs