Sandy Cooper-Ryder ChPC 

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​Jumps & Combined Events Coach - 2019 U20 Pan Am Games - Costa Rica

Head Coach Canada 2018 U18 Team - Jamaican Invitational - Youth Olympic Trials

Head Coach Canada 2017 Pan American Games U20 - Trujillo, Peru

Apprentice Coach - 2017 IAAF World Relay Championship

Personal Coach - 2012 IAAF World U20 Track & Field Championship - Barcelona

Coaching Symposium & Personal Coach - 2010 IAAF World Junior Championship

Jumps & Combined Events Coach - 2010 U23 NACAC Championship

Personal Coach - 2009 IAAF World Youth T&F Championship - Bressanone, Italy

Twice runner up Athletics Canada Coach of the Year

(NCCP L3-L4, Sprint/Hurdle IAAF

USATF Academy Sprints & Hurdles Level 5

Athletics Canada L3 Sprints, Hurdles, & Relays LF (Learning Facilitator)

UWO  & Queens' University Track & Field Varsity Athlete 

UWO T&F  Hall of Fame, UWO W.A.A. Elfrida Berzins Award

2013 Queen's Jubiliee Award Winner, YMCA Women of Excellence

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Sandy is our Head Coach and she will be leading the coaching alliances program that will include highly skilled strength and conditioning coaches.  Sandy is the Physical & Health Department Head of Banting Secondary School and has been a leader in High School Track development.  She has won over 8 OFSAA Provincial Track Team Championships and has developed several nationally ranked athletes. Sandy was a National Team Member, a National Pentathlete and Hurdler with international competition experience.  Sandy was a student at U.W.O. and Queen's universities.  She is a member of the U.W.O. Track & Field Hall of Fame.    

In 2005, Sandy won the London Sports Council "Coach of the Year"  for her 26 year volunteer high school coaching contribution and for building the new London Legion Track & Field Alliance club.  In 2009, Sandy won the YMCA Women of Excellence Award and was awarded the UWO Women's Athletic Alumni Association Elfrida Berzins Award.  Sandy's leadership for volunteer sports has been recognized by the Canadian Federal Government and in the 2010 Ontario Government Throne Speech. Sandy was named the Hurdles, Jumps and Combined Events Coach for the 2011 Pan Am Juniors, the 2010 NACAC U23 Championship and to the World Junior Coaching Seminar and Tutorial.

In 2012 Sandy completed the IAAF/USATF L5 Sprint/Hurdle Certification Program in Chula Vista California. Also, in 2012, Sandy received the Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Ontario/Canadian goverment for contribution to youth sports development.                                                                

B.Sc. from the University of Montréal

B.Ed. from l’Université Laurentienne

Para-Athletic Convener – Thames Valley District School Board

French Immersion Teacher – Thames Valley District School Board

Wheelchair/Para Coach 

Para-Athlete T54 Wheelchair Sprinter

Passionate and dedicated to para-athletics, Katty brings 6 years of experience in Parasport. She is a T54 wheelchair racer in the 100m, 200m, and 400m.  Katty is currently ranked #1 in  Canada in the 100m and 200m…with a strong reputation for determination and hard work. An indomitable spirit, she is never limited by her disability. As an Athletics Ontario Team member, Katty has experience competing abroad in both Arizona and Switzerland. She believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to be fit and healthy and to be a part of a sport that makes them happy, strong and successful.

Bud Willis
Recreation Administration, Physical Education
University of Western Washington, USA
BA, Ed. Physical Education Major
University of Western Ontario (Althouse College)

Level I & II NCCP Coach
Level III Theory coaching NCCP
Level I & II Theory Coach Instructor (20 years)

Bud Willis is a former Elgin County and Thames Valley District School teacher.  In addition, Bud has been a leader in the YMCA movement for over 21 years in London, Kamloops, Sarnia, and St. Thomas.

 

Linda Findley
Distance Coach                                                                          
UWO - Althouse College - Physical & Health Ed.           
Principal - Thames Valley Board of Education (Retired)

Linda Findley is a retired Elementary Primcipal from the Thames Valley Board of Education.  She has over 30 years experience as a teacher of students from Senior Kindergarten to Grade 10.  Linda has been a track and cross country coach for students and adults throughout her teaching career.

Currently, Linda is a teacher of Physical & Health Education at the Faculty of Education (Althouse College) at the University of Western Ontario.  She is an avid and competitive athlete,  and Linda still competes in cross country track, and road racing, at the Masters level.  She has been a competitive runner for over 25 years, with great success, in many national and international distance running events.  Linda placed in the top 6 in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m, and 8000m at the recent World Master's held in Barcelona

Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (Syracuse University) – 2003

Nurse Practitioner Program (University of Western Ontario) – 2008

Master’s in Nursing (University of Western Ontario) – 2012

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Aleccia has  worked in different clinics as a Nurse Practitioner for the past 10 years, currently locum and is currently full time faculty and lecturer at the University of Western Ontario in the Arthur Labatt School of Nursing. Aleccia teaches in both the undergrad nursing program and the graduate Nurse Practitioner program. Her special interest is in women’s health, mental health and primary care

Aleccia is married to husband Nathan Hofstetter and a mother to 4 young boys.

As a high school athlete, Aleccia won multiple OFSAA medals in the 800, 1500 and 4x400m relay and was selected to the Canadian Junior National Team

Aleccia was awarded a full ride scholarship to Syracuse University for Track and Cross Country and was a Member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and she was named BIG EAST Academic All-Star 4 times.

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Syracuse University T&F & Cross Country teams selected Aleccia as Team captain in Junior and Senior year

Coach - Elementary Track & SAC

McMaster University (B. Kinesiology)
University of Western Ontario (Althouse College) B.Ed.

Level III Coach Volleyball

Level II Track & Field

 Denise is  is a graduate of McMaster University (B.A. Kinesiology) and the University of Western Ontraio (B. Ed).  At McMaster, Denise was a varsity volleyball player and T&F athlete.  Denise attained her level 3 coaching levels in Volleyball and Level 2 in Jumps and Sprints/Hurdles

Our CIS Academic all-star coach is passionate about teaching and coaching young athletes.  A teacher at Thames Valley Board of Education high schools, Westminister and Clarke Road, Denise has developed a number of provincial level athletes and teams.

Brad McGhie
University of Western Ontario B.Sc- Honours - Science
University of Western Ontario B.Ed. Education

Brad McGhie is in his 26th year as a teacher of science, English, physical education, special education, and as a guidance counsellor at Medway High School.

During his high schoo coaching career Brad has doached track and field and football for 30 years at Medway High School. He has also coached wrestling and basketball along with London Minor Football.

From 1990-1994, Brad was a coach with the Ilderton Legion T&F Club and has expertise in strength and conditioning training, throws, sprints and pole vault, events he competed in during his track and field career.

University of Western Ontario (B.A. S.Sc)

St. Bonaventure University, Olean, New York (Teaching Certification, I/S Physical & Health Ed, Geography)

University of Western Ontario, Special Education Part 1

Queen’s University, Special Education Part 2

Lakehead University, Specialist Special Education

A secondary teacher with the Thames Valley District school Board for 10 years and an avid athlete and runner herself, Debbie has been coaching with London Legion since 2014. Debbie has competed in cross country, 800m, 1500m and 3000m track events, marathons and half marathons, adventure and obstacle races as well as being fully certified with Boxing Ontario.

Debbie’s coaching at the high school level and in the community, knowledge of what constitutes a well-rounded and grounded athlete along with her love of teaching; coaching and inspiring youth to perform their best lends itself well to the London Legion Philosophy.

Jamie Ryder
University of Nebraska - Track & Field Scholarship
Bsc. - Business Administration

University of Western Ontario - Bachelor of Education (B.ed)

Jamie is a graduate from the University of Nebraska,  in an honours Business program. Jamie was on a full Track & Field Scholarship. He  is also a graduate of Sir Frederick Banting High School, in London, Ontario.

Jamie is one of Canada's best young hurdlers.  He set an OFSAA 110m Hurdle Record in winning the OFSAA Gold Medal twice in his senior years.  He is an Athletics Ontario Indoor hurdle record holder and he has won a Bronze and Silver Medal at the US Indoor High School Championship.

University of Western Ontario-BA Honours, Kinesiology 

University of Western Ontario-B.Ed (April 2019)

Claire is a graduate of Western University (B.A. Hon. Kinesiology) and is in her last year of Teacher’s College at the University of Western Ontario, specializing in Secondary Physical-Education and Science. Claire’s focus in Kinesiology was in biomechanics, prevention of athletic injuries, psychological and mental health for athletes, coaching and developing training regimes for optimal performance. Claire has had a life-long relationship with sport, including competitive high school basketball, skiing, cross-country and track and field. Claire has had well-rounded experience in coaching and is passionate and dedicated to teaching and coaching young athletes to reach their full potential.

Tony Whyte
Coach - Jumps
Western University - BA Hon, Physical Education
University of Ottawa - Masters Physical Education

Tony is a former varsity athlete who has turned his passion for the sports he has competed in for many years into coaching younger athletes to help them reach their full potential.