Gregory MacNeill

Biography

Gregory MacNeill has become an elite hurdler despite being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was nine. It is something he has to monitor carefully to be able to pursue his athletic career, testing his blood sugar levels daily more than twice the amount of the average diabetic and using an insulin pump. Just two years after he started hurdling competitively, he won bronze in the 110m hurdles at the 2009 IAAF World Youth Championships as the Canadian junior champion. In 2010 he won the Ontario high school championship in the 110m hurdles, setting an OFSAA record, and competed in the 4x100m relay at the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships. MacNeill earned a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, but after the 2010-11 season he transferred to the University of Toronto. By being in Canada, he could focus his season around making the national team in the summer, rather than peaking for the NCAA Championships. He finished second in the 60m hurdles at the 2014 CIS Championships and won three medals at the 2014 U23 NACAC meet. He did that after coming back from injuries in 2012 and 2013 that included a torn hamstring and a torn adductor muscle.

PERSONAL

Family: Father Stephen MacNeill was a CIS medallist in basketball… Mother Susan Williams… Younger siblings Christine, Michael and Matthews… Getting into the Sport: Started running track at age 15… Has always been a competitive person… Has wanted to compete for Team Canada since watching the men’s hockey team win gold at Salt Lake City 2002… Outside Interests: Enjoys watching sports, fishing, boating… Majoring in American Studies at the University of Toronto… Odds and Ends: Nickname: G-Mac…Role models are Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant because of their will to win on the court and their leadership abilities… Has a Hockey Canada keychain as a good luck charm… Favourite quotes: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” – Philippians 4:13 and “Run hard”…

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

IAAF WCh (youth): 2009 – BRONZE (110m hurdles)