Angella Taylor-Issajenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Angella Taylor-Issajenko

Personal information
Birth name	Angella Taylor
Born	(1958-09-28) September 28, 1958 (age 66) Jamaica
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Canada Olympic Games Silver 1984 Los Angeles 4×100 m relay Commonwealth Games Gold 1982 Brisbane 100 metres Gold 1982 Brisbane 4×400 metres Silver 1982 Brisbane 4×100 metres Bronze 1982 Brisbane 200 metres Gold 1986 Edinburgh 200 metres Silver 1986 Edinburgh 4×100 metres Bronze 1986 Edinburgh 100 metres Pan American Games Silver 1979 San Juan 200 metres Bronze 1979 San Juan 100 metres Universiade Silver 1983 Edmonton 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 1983 Edmonton 100 metres

Angella Taylor-Issajenko, born Angella Taylor on September 28, 1958, is a Canadian coach and a former sprinter. She was a very fast runner who competed in many important races. She won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles as part of Canada's 4 × 100 metres relay team. She also earned seven medals at the Commonwealth Games, including gold medals in the 100 metres in 1982 and the 200 metres in 1986.

Early Career and Records

Angella Taylor was born in Jamaica. She showed her talent early at the Pan American Games in 1979. There, she won a bronze medal in the 100-meter race and a silver medal in the 200-meter race. She also set new Canadian records for both distances.

In 1980, even though Canada did not send athletes to the Olympic Games in Moscow, Angella still performed very well in other competitions. She won several races and continued to improve her national records in the 100m and 200m.

Commonwealth Games Success

Angella had a fantastic year in 1982 at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. She won the 100-meter race with a time of 11.00 seconds, which was a new record for the Commonwealth Games. She also helped Canada win a gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay. In addition, she earned a bronze medal in the 200m and a silver medal in the 4 × 100m relay. She kept breaking her own Canadian records for both the 100m and 200m.

After 1982, Angella faced a challenge when she injured her sciatic nerve. This injury affected her for the rest of her running career.

Olympic and World Stage

In 1983, Angella won a bronze medal in the 100m at the World University Games held in Edmonton, Canada. She also won a silver medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay.

A big moment in her career came in 1984 at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She won a silver medal as part of the Canadian 4 × 100m relay team. This was a huge achievement for her and her team.

In 1985, Angella was recognized for her contributions and was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This is a high honor in Canada. That same year, she also became a mother.

By 1986, now known as Angella Issajenko, she was back at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. She won another gold medal, this time in the 200 metres. She also took home a bronze in the 100m and a silver in the 4 × 100m relay.

Later Career and Challenges

In 1987, Angella Issajenko set a new world record for the indoor 50-meter race. She also won a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in the 60m race. Later that year, she broke her own national record for the 100m with a time of 10.97 seconds. She was one of the top sprinters in the world for many years, ranking in the top ten for the 100m six times and the 200m three times between 1979 and 1987.

In 1988, after a teammate faced issues related to fair play in sports, Angella Issajenko shared her experiences during an official investigation. She spoke about challenges in athletics and later wrote a book called Running Risks about her journey as a sprinter.

Life After Running

Today, Angella Issajenko is a single mother of four grown children. She works full-time helping students with learning disabilities. She has also returned to the world of track and field as a coach, helping young athletes at the track and field center on the York University campus in Toronto.

Her fastest personal times were: 100m – 10.97 seconds, 200m – 22.25 seconds, and 400m – 51.81 seconds.

Achievements and Medals

Angella Taylor-Issajenko was a very successful athlete.

• She was the Canadian National 100 metres Champion 10 times (1979–84, 1986–88, 1992).
• She was the Canadian National 200 metres Champion 8 times (1979–84, 1986–87).

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Canada
1978	Commonwealth Games	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	heats	200 m	23.81
1979	Pan American Games	San Juan, Puerto Rico	3rd	100 m	11.36
			2nd	200 m	22.74w
1982	Commonwealth Games	Brisbane, Australia	1st	100m	11.00
			3rd	200 m	22.48w
1983	Summer Universiade	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	3rd	100 m	11.17
			2nd	4 × 100 m	43.21
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, California, United States	2nd	4 × 100 m	42.77
1986	Commonwealth Games	Edinburgh, Scotland	3rd	100 m	11.21
			1st	200 m	22.91

Note: At the World Cup in 1979 and 1981, Taylor-Issajenko was representing the Americas continent.

See also

In Spanish: Angella Taylor-Issajenko para niños