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The Wright Connection

March 18, 2010 | Field Hockey Canada | fieldhockey.ca

The Wright Connection

March 18, 2010

By Cecilia-Carter Smith

It’s been called an urban myth – ‘six degrees of separation’ – the idea that ‘anyone on the planet can be connected in just a few steps of association.’

Never has that myth/theory been truer than in the world of sport.

In ferreting out information about members of the men’s national field hockey team I discovered that I had a connection with the celebrated Wright brothers – Anthony and Philip.

Exactly 40 years ago I boarded an aircraft destined for Edinburgh Scotland for the 1970 Commonwealth Games as a member of the Canadian athletics team.

Aboard the plane was a rising young star – Thelma Fynn. A young woman from British Columbia whom we called ‘The Flying Fynn.’ Only 18 years old, the fearless Fynn battled for bronze in the 1500 metres and repeated a similar podium performance at the 1974 Games in Christchurch New Zealand as Thelma Fynn-Wright.

In between Commonweath Games, the world ranked distance runner slowed down just long enough to be courted and caught by national field hockey player, and UBC graduate, Lee Wright. Clearly, the national team player deftly stick-handled his way into the life of one of Canada’s most celebrated distance runners. Call Lee’s nifty moves a gold medal performance by the two-time Olympian (1964 & 1976).

Thelma too, was a two-time Olympian wearing the Canadian strip in Munich (1972) and Montreal (1976). The Flying Fynn added another trinket to her treasure trove capturing silver in the 1500 metres at the 1975 Pan Am Games in Mexico City, Mexico. And in 1993 the decorated Canadian and world distance runner was inducted into the UBC Hall of Fame.

It’s hardly a surprise then that Anthony and Philip are such genetically gifted young men. Stars on the pitch and scholars in the classroom, too.

Beijing Olympian, Anthony was a Rhodes Scholar candidate and is presently preparing for admission to UBC Medical School, while Philip was the recipient of the Headmaster’s Leadership Award and Premier’s Athletic Award upon graduation from Vancouver’s St. George’s School. The younger of the two siblings is presently completing his degree at UBC in the prestigious Sauder School of Business.

"I feel privileged to be part of such an athletically gifted family," said the 23 year old.

"My parents and grandfather (Harold Wright – 1932 Olympian – athletics) have been great role models for me and my siblings: Lindsay (28), a UBC grad and presently completing a second degree at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Interior Design, Anthony (25), 2008 Olympian, UBC Academic All-Canadian, and Gillian (21) – the baby of the family –  is attending UVic majoring in education – and like her mother is a very gifted runner, as well as a member of the varsity field hockey team."

Phil commented on his World Cup experience,  "My experience here at the World Cup has been tremendous. Being able to play in such an arena (16 000 plus-seated stadium) has always been a dream of mine. And to play here with my teammates against the best players in the world will be one the highlights of my career.

"And in terms of my (personal) World Cup, I will always remember scoring in my first game against New Zealand. That will definitely remain a highlight for me."

And the team’s leading scorer (3 goals) at the World Cup added, ”We have learned a lot here (in Delhi) and if nothing else, our results will motivate us to train that much harder in preparation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games (Delhi, India), 2011 Pan Am Games (Guadalajara, Mexico), and the 2012 Olympic Games (London, England).”

And in wrapping up this piece I suddenly realized that the newly appointed headmaster at Vancouver’s St. George’s School is Dr. Tom Matthews, the former headmaster of Hillfield Strathallan College in Hamilton Ontario where I served as teacher-coach, athletic director, dean of women, and head of junior school for 17 years.

Call it ‘six degrees of separation.’

Connected.