Frances Kelsey Secondary student Alexa Dow is currently ranked as the number one female runner in Canada for both the 800m and 1500m events in the U18 category. She is just days away from realizing her lifelong dream of being named to the Canadian National Team. Alexa is ranked 3rd on a list of 17 athletes who will be chosen to represent Canada in the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, scheduled to take place in Trinidad and Tobago this August.
Alexa competed for Frances Kelsey in the BC Provincial High School Cross Country Championships in November at Royal Roads where she won the gold medal in the Junior Girls category for the second consecutive year. Competing for her team, The Prairie Inn Harriers, she also won the BC Provincial Cross Country title.
Alexa recently represented Frances Kelsey in the Island Track and Field High School Championships in May. She won both the Junior Girls 800m and 1500m races and broke island records in both events. In the 800m, she surpassed her own record set last year, while in the 1500m, she broke a record that has stood since 1979 by more than 2 seconds. Just two days later, Alexa competed in Nanaimo and achieved a 1500m time that ranks her third in all of North America. This time would have broken the 1979 island record by 18 seconds.
Alexa currently holds provincial records in the 800m, 1200m, and 1500m events. Her performances at the BC Summer Games last July in Prince George earned her three gold medals, accompanied by new Summer Games records in all her events.
Alexa is gearing up for the BC High School Track and Field Provincials taking place June 8-10th. With her sights set on repeating her past success, she aims to defend her title by securing gold and setting new high school records in both of her events, just as she did last year.