Canadian Olympian Ben Flanagan Talks Dreams, Training, & Confidence
With the Paris 2024 Olympics already underway — running July 26th to August 11th of this year — it’s time to get excited. Canada’s pool of athletes is filled with both veteran and rookie contenders alike, all looking to bring home the gold. SHARP has been in chatting with a several of Team Canada’s athletes over the last few weeks to get a bit of a temperature check of the excitement and anticipation as they get ready for competition.
For our next instalment we tracked down Ben Flanagan, the Ontario-born long distance runner who’s on his way to the gruelling 5,000-metre in Paris. Flanagan moved stateside to attend the University of Michigan, seeing great success in NCAA competition between 2016 and 2018, and has since been competing both in Canada and abroad, including winning the 5,000m in the Canadian Track and Field Championship just last year.
Can you walk us through your journey to the Olympics? From when you started competing, through to how you came to join the Canadian Olympic team?
Like most Canadians, growing up I spent my winters playing hockey and trying a variety of other sports during the summer. It wasn’t until my two older sisters encouraged me to join our high school cross-country team that I found myself in a sport that actually came naturally to me. Between the friends I made on the team, incredible mentoring and what seemed to be a natural ability, I quickly developed a passion for the sport. From there, I became obsessed with chasing one goal after the other, which fortunately led to provincial titles, national teams, an NCAA title at the University of Michigan and now my first Olympic team!
With Paris right on the horizon, how are you feeling? Is it excitement, is it nerves?
It’s definitely a mix of both. At this stage, excitement seems to be the dominant emotion with all of the incredible support and the euphoria of accomplishing a lifelong dream. As the games get closer, I’m sure the nerves will become much more noticeable, which is why preparation and focus is key during the few weeks of training I have before competition.
How has your training regimen changed as you get closer to the games?
Ideally, it doesn’t change all that much. It’s important to trust the system that’s gotten me this far. If anything, the overall volume has decreased and there’s been a shift to higher-intensity, race-specific workouts to boost confidence and prepare for what’s expected in Paris. Additionally, I’m focusing on training in the heat as it’s expected to be hot during competition.
Have you spent much time in Paris before, and are you able to have some free time in the city after you compete?
This will be my first time there! I can’t wait to see the city during this amazing time. My wife absolutely loves Paris so I’m mostly excited for her to get to enjoy the city with her parents and my family! I’ll mostly be focused on competing but will take as much of the experience in as I can while I’m there!
What are you looking forward to most as you head into the competition?
Putting on the Canadian uniform. I’ve received an overwhelming amount of support from family and friends who’ve intersected my life at various times throughout this journey. To be able to represent my country, affiliations and all of the people who’ve been by my side is an absolutely humbling experience.
Do you have any advice for other athletes out there who are hoping to make it to the Olympics one day?
Trust yourself, believe, and don’t give up. I’ve had many setbacks throughout my career that indicated the Olympics were not in the cards for me. The first Olympics I tried to qualify for, I didn’t make. If you believe you can accomplish something, go for it: trust yourself, learn along the way, and don’t give up on that dream.
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