Charmaine Crooks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charmaine Crooks CM, OLY
Born	(1962-08-08) August 8, 1962 (age 61) Mandeville, Jamaica
Charmaine Crooks Personal information Nationality Canadian Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Weight 58 kg (128 lb) Sport Sport Running Event(s) 400 metres, 800 metres Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Canada Olympic Games Silver 1984 Los Angeles 4x400 m relay Commonwealth Games Gold 1982 Brisbane 4x400 m relay Gold 1986 Edinburgh 4x400 m relay Silver 1994 Victoria 800 m Bronze 1994 Victoria 4x400 m relay Pan American Games Gold 1983 Caracas 400 m Silver 1983 Caracas 4x400 m relay Silver 1987 Indianapolis 4x400 m relay Francophone Games Silver 1989 Casablanca 400 m Silver 1989 Casablanca 4x400 m relay Pan American Junior Athletics Championships Gold 1980 Sudbury 400 m Silver 1980 Sudbury 4x400 m relay Representing Americas World Cup Bronze 1981 Rome 4x400 m relay Gold 1989 Barcelona 4x400 m relay Silver 1992 Havana 400 m Gold 1992 Havana 4x400 m relay
President of the Canadian Soccer Association
Incumbent
Assumed office March 1, 2023
Preceded by	Nick Bontis

Charmaine Crooks CM OLY (born August 8, 1962), is a Canadian businesswoman, sports executive, and retired sprinter and middle-distance runner. Crooks was born in Mandeville, Jamaica, but represented Canada for close to 20 years in athletics. She was a five-time Olympian, winning silver and setting a national record of 3:21.21 in the 4 x 400 metres relay with her teammates Jillian Richardson, Molly Killingbeck, and Marita Payne. The first Canadian woman to run 800 metres in under two minutes, Crooks also won gold medals at the Pan American, Commonwealth, World Student Games, and World Cup. In 1996, she had the honour of being Canada's flag bearer at the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games. She is the fifth child with five sisters and three brothers.

Biography

Crooks was born in Mandeville, Jamaica and moved to Toronto, Canada at the age of six. Crooks attended Winona Public elementary school and West Toronto Secondary School, where she participated in athletics. In 1979 and 1980, Crooks was Ontario high school champion in the 400 metres. Crooks attended the University of Texas-El Paso on an athletic scholarshp and was named 'All-American' six times.

After retiring from active competition, Crooks moved into sports administration. Since 1994, Crooks is the president and founder of NGU Consultants, a sports marketing, management and corporate consulting company, which provides strategic counsel and growth strategies to major corporations on a national and global basis. She is also a keynote speaker, appearing at national and international conferences, corporate meetings and retreats and speaking on topics ranging from team building, leadership, inspiration and the Olympic Movement.

Crooks was elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission in 1996 and was elected as a full voting member of the IOC from 2000 to 2004. She continues to serve on the IOC Athletes' Commission, has been a member of the IOC Press Commission since 2001, and was a founding member of the independent IOC Ethics Commission.

As an elected member of the executive board of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Crooks is Chair of Olympians Canada (alumni body of Olympians) and the COC's Awards and Recognition/Hall of Fame Committee. As one of the original 2010 Olympic bid team members (since 1998) she is also one of twenty directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), and served on both the VANOC Governance and Strategic Communications Committee.

From 2003-2011, Crooks was elected by her peers to serve on the executive board of the alumni body of Olympians, the World Olympians Association (WOA) and was a WOA Vice President. She was the founding and first Chair of the PASO Athletes' Commission. Crooks is a founding member and past member of the International Board of Directors for Right To Play, an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sports to encourage the development of youth in disadvantaged areas.

Crooks is a current board member of the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and has been a longstanding honorary member of Big Sisters of the Lower Mainland since 2000. She is also a member of FIFA's Organizing Committee for Competitions.

In 2006, Crooks was the recipient of the IOC Women in Sport Trophy.

On May 1, 2021, Crooks was named vice president of Canada Soccer.

In December 2022, Crooks was given the Order of Canada.

On March 1, 2023, Crooks was named interim president of the Canadian Soccer Association.

See also

In Spanish: Charmaine Crooks para niños