Despite qualifying for both the 10,000 metres and marathon, Lanni Marchant will only be representing Canada in 10,000 metres at the Rio Olympics. Here’s how her mom encourages her daughter to dig deep, stay focus and keep on making history.
Dear Canada,
This letter speaks about my daughter , Lanni Marchant.
May I take a moment to say, that all of the Marchant children are great. They grew up with a mom and dad, but sometimes, mostly a mom.
No regrets , no blame. Just love and finally, understanding .
Even with adversities and tightened belts, they grew up free. Free to work hard, laugh, love, and finally to fight .
Fight for a place, fight for strength, fight to get better, and fight to never give up.
Lanni, as your siblings know: Never give up. And, now, in this moment that you will never forget, the first week of June 2016. You won the 10k National Championship title in Ottawa, yet again. You then stepped off of that finish line, in tremendous scorching heat, and proceeded with a 46 hour simulation for the Marathon.
Ice baths, (your sisters helped you with that, remember?) physio, carb loading, three to five pound weight gain in preparation for the 30k simulation at Marathon pace. You did it all. Your pacer dropped off at 8k, and yet a friend came along on a bicycle to pace you and give you fluids. Once again in the tremendous heat, you killed it!
Your plan to prove your fitness and ability to double in the 10k and the Marathon, to proudly represent our country of Canada, and you killed it!
I was so proud of you, your siblings, your family of friends and the whole running community, we were so proud of you!
Then two days later, your dreams were dashed with one phone call.
At that moment , you made a decision to fight for what is right.
The moment of that phone call, and what has transpired since, will indeed put you in the history books.
No matter what transpires on July 11, 2016, you will make sport history .
For Canada , for women, and for long distance runners, across the country.
The books will read
She fought: Not once, but twice.
For the right to represent and run the Marathon for her country.
Fastest Female in the Marathon, in the History of our Country.
#letlannirun #youdontknowlanni #letlannirepresent
Either way, my little girl, you will be in the history books. I love you.
#makeourhistoryright #bethevoice #marathon #women #wehavetheright #believe #nevergiveup #righttorepresent #marchantsforwardmarch
Proudly Lanni’s Mom,
Mary Lou Marchant
Our Magazine
Mary Lou, Your letter is so true; the truth is in every way, every word. Your seven children show the strength that Canada should show. Here is the opportunity for this country of ours to shine – not discourage and prevent. Lanni is waving our flag. We must let Lanni run. You, their Mother, are showing the strength that you have passed on to each of the seven. Well done!
I have already signed a petition. What more can we do???
Love always wins and Lanni and her family are winners already. What Lanni has already achieved inspires us all and will be recorded and remembered. True Champions keep flowing their gifts forward into the physical world; they never stop being who they really are, and for Lanni she is a great athlete and a leader. This is but one of the obstacles you will encounter my friend, but who you are will never be swayed. May you run the marathon in Rio. I will be GLUED to the TV…with love from Australia.