Janet Maddin Neale made a quick impression in 1964 and her career in Athletics never turned back. Speeding to records regionally and nationally, Neale left a mark difficult to match.

In 1964, she began by winning four gold medals at the Canadian Championships. That same year, she surpassed 16 Manitoba records and was awarded the Carl Pederson Memorial Trophy as Manitoba’s outstanding junior athlete.

She maintained her winning ways in 1965, and in 1966 she had her first taste of international competition at the British Empire Games in Jamaica and won 4 Gold medals at the Canadian championships in Richmond, B.C. Many awards came Neale’s way in 1966 including a ranking of 4th in the world in the 200 metres, the Myrtle Cook trophy presented by the Canadian Track & Field Association as an outstanding junior athlete, the outstanding athlete’s trophy at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate and Governor General’s Medal for all round proficiency.

Neale continued in 1967 with one of her biggest highlights coming at the Pan Am Games where she raced to a silver medal in front of a hometown crowd in Winnipeg. She also represented her country at a triangular meet in Toronto and in 1968 she lowered the Canadian Age Class record in the 400 metres.

Neale participated in the Canada Games in Halifax in 1969 and set a Canadian Open record in the 300 metres indoors. In 1970, she broke a World Indoor record in the 300 metres in Regina, represented Canada at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was selected to go to the University Games in Italy, but declined in favour of a job offer. Six years later she was selected as an alternate for the Olympic team.

Janet Maddin Neale’s quick feet left a record that many people will aim at but few will ever reach.