Hall of Famer
Angela Chalmers
Inducted in 2024
Member Details
Date of Birth: September 6, 1963
Place of Birth: Brandon, Manitoba
Sport: Athletics
Member Category: Athlete
Career Highlights
1985
Bronze Medal, 3000m at the Summer Universiade (now known as the FISU World University Games)
1986
National Collegiate Athletic Association Cross-Country Championship
1990
Gold Medal, 1500m at the Commonwealth Games
Gold Medal, 3000m at the Commonwealth Games
Gold Medal, 3000m at the Commonwealth Games
1992
Bronze Medal, 3000m at the Barcelona Olympic Games
1994
Gold Medal, 3000m at the Commonwealth Games
Story
Angela Chalmers was born with the talent to run and drive to succeed, drawing on remarkable reserves of strength and resilience to become one of the best middle-distance runners in the world. A member of the Birdtail Sioux First Nation, Angela was born in Brandon, Manitoba in 1963. Raised in a military family, she moved to Vancouver Island as a young girl, racing brothers and sisters in coastal rainforests and acquiring the mental toughness and exceptional competitive drive that would set her apart as an aspiring distance runner. At 13, Angela’s family returned to Manitoba, following her father’s posting back to Shilo. Regularly winning track races in high school, Angela made personal sacrifices to develop her abilities as a young athlete, seeing her being gifted the Sioux named Dusmanwe, or “Walk Fast Woman.” With determined focus, she developed rigorous self-discipline and extraordinary personal accountability, approaching each race as an opportunity to accomplish personal goals rather than seeking recognition or accolades.
Attending the University of Northern Arizona on an athletic scholarship, Angela earned All-American honours eight times as a varsity athlete, claiming the National Collegiate Athletic Association Cross-Country Championship in 1986. Poised for international success, she won Bronze in the 3000m race at the 1985 Summer Universiade in Japan, followed by Silver in the same event at the 1985 Pan American Games. While competing at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand, Angela made history as the first female athlete to secure Gold in both the 1500m and 3000m races. Overcoming injury and self-doubt, Angela achieved another first in 1992 by becoming the first Indigenous woman from Canada to win an Olympic medal. Fulfilling a promise, made to her father before he passed away, that she would succeed, Angela claimed a Bronze Medal in the 3000m race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
Serving as Canada’s flag bearer on home soil, she continued to blaze new trails in 1994 as the only female athlete to successfully defend the 3000m race with another Gold Medal performance at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia. By the time she retired from her athletics journey in 1997, Angela had become a symbol of empowerment for women and Indigenous youth, commemorated annually in Manitoba’s Joe Keeper-Angela Chalmers Celebration Run and Burnaby, B.C.’s Rainforest Trail Run that celebrates Indigenous cultures.
A lifelong advocate for drug-free sport, Angela Chalmers championed integrity and clean competition in an era which saw the impact of performance enhancing drugs on the pursuit of medals with little regard for sportsmanship. Sharing these experiences, she worked diligently to help young people in Canada develop self-esteem through healthy living, clean competition, sport, and recreation. Giving her time generously to connect with Indigenous youth faced with disproportionate rates of substance abuse, intergenerational trauma, and suicide, she volunteered as a spokesperson with B.C.’s Department of Education, assisting with initiatives aimed at lowering the dropout rate in these communities. Racing past podium finishes and electrifying competitive achievements, Angela exemplifies the power of hard work and reciprocity in athletics and beyond, honouring her Indigenous roots while building new paths to help the next generation follow their dreams to reach their full potential.
Attending the University of Northern Arizona on an athletic scholarship, Angela earned All-American honours eight times as a varsity athlete, claiming the National Collegiate Athletic Association Cross-Country Championship in 1986. Poised for international success, she won Bronze in the 3000m race at the 1985 Summer Universiade in Japan, followed by Silver in the same event at the 1985 Pan American Games. While competing at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand, Angela made history as the first female athlete to secure Gold in both the 1500m and 3000m races. Overcoming injury and self-doubt, Angela achieved another first in 1992 by becoming the first Indigenous woman from Canada to win an Olympic medal. Fulfilling a promise, made to her father before he passed away, that she would succeed, Angela claimed a Bronze Medal in the 3000m race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
Serving as Canada’s flag bearer on home soil, she continued to blaze new trails in 1994 as the only female athlete to successfully defend the 3000m race with another Gold Medal performance at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia. By the time she retired from her athletics journey in 1997, Angela had become a symbol of empowerment for women and Indigenous youth, commemorated annually in Manitoba’s Joe Keeper-Angela Chalmers Celebration Run and Burnaby, B.C.’s Rainforest Trail Run that celebrates Indigenous cultures.
A lifelong advocate for drug-free sport, Angela Chalmers championed integrity and clean competition in an era which saw the impact of performance enhancing drugs on the pursuit of medals with little regard for sportsmanship. Sharing these experiences, she worked diligently to help young people in Canada develop self-esteem through healthy living, clean competition, sport, and recreation. Giving her time generously to connect with Indigenous youth faced with disproportionate rates of substance abuse, intergenerational trauma, and suicide, she volunteered as a spokesperson with B.C.’s Department of Education, assisting with initiatives aimed at lowering the dropout rate in these communities. Racing past podium finishes and electrifying competitive achievements, Angela exemplifies the power of hard work and reciprocity in athletics and beyond, honouring her Indigenous roots while building new paths to help the next generation follow their dreams to reach their full potential.
