UVic Sports Hall of Fame
CATEGORY: Athlete
Debbie Scott emerged from Victoria’s Claremont High School to become one of the greatest female middle-distance runners in Canadian cross-country, road and track running history.
Debbie raced to 26 Canadian titles. She held Canadian records in five distances, and she was selected to compete in three Summer Olympic Games (1980 [boycotted], 1984, and 1988), four Commonwealth Games, one Pan-Am Games and two World Track and Field championships.
Her track career highlights included a top 10 finish in the 1,500m at the 1984 LA Games; a gold medal at the 1985 world indoor track and field championships in Paris; silver medals in the 1,500m and 3,000m events at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh; a silver medal in the 1,500m at the 1987 Pan-American Games and a top 12 finish at the 1987 World Track and Field Championships in Rome.
Scott began running for UVic in 1976 and led the Vikettes to a cross-country Canada West Championship title that season. In 1977 she took a year off but returned to the roster in 1978 until 1981. At the 1979 track and field Canada West championship meet, Scott set a new personal 1,500-m record of 4:23.9. Her previous personal record was 4:24.4. In 1980 Scott helped guide the Vikettes to their first cross-country CIAU national championship title under the leadership of head coach Ron Bowker.
In cross-country, she had a top eight finish at the 1981 World Championships, two top 13 finishes at other World championships and a stunning victory in the famed New York Mile in 1982.
She was named Victoria's Female Athlete of the Year on four occasions and she was inducted into the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. She is a teacher at St. Margaret’s School in Victoria.
UVic Achievements
- Began running for UVic in 1976, 78, 79, 80, 81
- Guide the Vikettes to a cross-country Canada West Championship that season
- 1980 led Vikettes to first CIAU cross-country championship
International Achievements
- Selected to run in three Olympic Games (1980, 84, 88)
- 1984 LA Olympics competed in the 1500-m
- 1985 World Indoor Track and Field Championship gold medalist
- 1986 Commonwealth Games silver medalist in the 1500-m and 3000-m
- 1987 Pan American Games silver medalist in the 1500-m
- Competed in the 1987 World Indoor Track and Field Championships
- 1988 Seoul Olympics competed in the 1500-m and 3000-m
- Named UVic's Female Athlete of the Year four times
- 2001 Inducted into the Victoria Sport Hall of Fame
