As the 2024 Paris Olympics continue to unfold, West Vancouver retirement residence Amica Lions Gate proudly honoured its resident and two-time Track and Field Olympic silver medalist Jenny Wingerson with an official Opening Ceremony celebration and display on July 29. The celebration began with a lively pre-party, where residents and team members enjoyed music, dancing and camaraderie. The festivities paraded through the residence and ended in the bistro, which was transformed into an Olympic display to showcase Jenny’s remarkable achievements. The set up of the display included information highlighting her Olympic career and experiences at the 1964 and 1968 games. Wearing her original 1968 Olympic team jacket, Jenny lit Amica’s very own Olympic flame. This moment symbolized Jenny’s enduring legacy and reflected the pride her community feels for her lifelong achievements. Jenny’s Olympic journey remains inspiring, and it is heartwarming to see the Amica team honour and celebrate her achievements. We spoke with Jenny to learn more. —Vita Daily
Can you share some of your most cherished memories from competing in the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games?
The pride, definitely pride. One of the moments I will call cherished and important was…they used to let pigeons fly. It used to be doves in the old days, and then they let pigeons fly. And I got pooped on. Excuse me haha. On my navy blue blazer. Which was a little distressing and funny all at the same time. I think Pride is the most amazing thing and Mexico, it was the satisfaction of having made the second Olympic team. And I improved my performance in the pentathlon the second time by two places, so that was good. I always felt when you get named to a team that you had to come up with a personal best. And each time I competed in the Olympics, I came up with a personal best in the pentathlon. So I felt that I had done my job.
How did it feel to wear your original 1968 Olympic team jacket and light Amica’s Olympic flame during the celebration?
Weepy. And people talking to me. I don’t like a lot of attention. But it made me feel, um, weepy. I don’t know. There were just a lot of emotions. What I was being celebrated for was a long time ago, a lot has happened since then.
What was it like to see your Olympic achievements showcased in a display at Amica Lions Gate? How did this recognition make you feel?
It was very nice. Everybody, people are all coming up and saying congratulations, which made me weep. It makes me feel embarrassed, I think. And I, I don’t feel that I deserve the attention. I know this is a small family at Amica and people have been very nice. Very complimentary. So feeling humbled by it all. Brings up memories.
Reflecting on your Olympic career and the current 2024 Paris Games, what are your thoughts on how the sport of track and field has evolved over the years?
It’s so much better. Oh gosh, yes, tons. I mean, they’re setting world records in so many events. There’s a lot more sports in track and field and pole vault, for example, for women. Hammer throw for women wasn’t considered. There are a lot of female events that have been added and so they should be. We’re not fragile. We are strong women.
How do you stay connected to the Olympic spirit and athletic community in your senior years?
I’m a very good friend. Well, one of my best friends is Val Jerome. Um, Harry Jerome’s sister… I would share Olympic thoughts with our memories or something like that. I was also a color commentator for CBC for years. I loved doing that. I was the person that tells the audience that there’s a, uh, a sports announcer that calls the race. And before the race, I give the background on each of the athletes and what their PBs are. And then comment on what they’ve done, as a former track athlete, whether they did well or not. And it’s funny, there was a 1, 500 meters in, um, uh, Los Angeles at the LA Olympics. And Don Whitman, you won’t know him, but he was a very prominent sports commentator. And Mary Decker was supposed to win, she was American, and she got tripped on the, um, I’m just trying to think, when she’d been around the track once, and the second time she got tripped and Don missed it. And I was shocked, and I said, excuse me Don, over on the other side, Mary Decker is down. He couldn’t believe that he’d missed it, he was so shocked. But, but what you do is you, you give the athletes perspective, you know, and you do a lot of research on what they’ve done and all that sort of thing.
What advice would you give to aspiring athletes today, especially those hoping to compete in future Olympic Games?
Just keep it up. Keep that urge and brilliance and work hard. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. Don’t let it go to your head. Work hard, dream big, and remember that you will have some losses along the way. But it all pays off in the end.
Looking back at your career and the recent celebration, what does it mean to you to have your legacy honored and remembered by your community?
It’s embarrassing. It is, but I thank you for doing that, you did a terrific job and I loved the Olympic flame, it was a fun surprise to see it come up when the torch touched it. I’m not comfortable with that sort of stuff…But I appreciate the comments that I’ve had and that sort of thing.
Interviewer’s note: Throughout this interview, Jenny exuded humility, which she described as “embarrassment.” It was clear, with her speaking through tears today, along with giggles and the smile that was on her face throughout our Olympic event, that this experience brought on overwhelming emotions and memories, which made it difficult to speak through during this interview.
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