Tim Berrett is still the man to beat in Canadian race walking and remains a strong threat at the international level. The oldest member of the Canadian track and field team met the tough standards once again this year to qualify for his third consecutive Olympic Games. He has competed at the last seven world championships (since 1991) and placed 19th in the 50 kilometre walk at the last two worlds.
Race walking is an odd sport to most Canadians but the best in the world are incredible athletes. Top walkers are capable of maintaining speeds of close to six minutes per mile over 12.4 miles which is faster than the average runner. Of course, disqualifications are common occurrence in the sport when walkers don't maintain the proper stride, and Berret has had his fair share of DQ's.
Born in Britain, Berrett, a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, came to Canada in 1987 on a Canadian Rhodes Foundation Scholarship. In 1986, he graduated from Oxford University in philosophy, politics and economy and obtained a Maters degree in 1989 from Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.
He is married to Tara Croxford, a former member of the Canadian women's field hockey team. Berrett was Athletics Canada's outstanding university athlete in 1991, 1992 and 1994.
