Denny Morrison

Hobbies

Mountain biking. (cbc.ca, 17 Oct 2016)

When and where did you begin this sport?

He began skating at age three in Chetwynd, BC, Canada.

Famous relatives	His family have been involved in speed skating. His father Dennis is a former Canadian Masters champion, his mother Carol has served as an official at national level, his older brother Jay has represented the national team, while his older sister Julie competed in the sport at youth level. His wife Josie Morrison [nee Spence] represented Canada in speed skating at the 2016 World Single Distances Championships in Kolomna, Russian Federation. (schaatsen.nl, 17 May 2017; SportsDeskOnline, 05 Jan 2017; nationalpost.com, 23 Oct 2016; NOC Media Guide, 2014)
Hero / Idol	Canadian triathlete Simon Whitfield. (Athlete, 10 Dec 2013)
Ambitions	To study medicine. (globalnews.ca, 07 Feb 2020)
Awards and honours	He was named Male Long Track Skater of the Year by Speed Skating Canada in 2006, 2007 and 2008. (Speed Skating Canada, 19 Jan 2009) He was named Fort St. John Skater of the Year for seven consecutive years until 2003, when he moved to Calgary, AB, Canada. (Speed Skating Canada, 19 Jan 2009)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in team pursuit at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and claiming silver in the 1000m at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Also winning gold medals in the 1500m at the 2008 and 2012 world championships. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)

Reason for choosing this sport

He parents wanted him to learn how to skate. He competed in short track and speed skating until the 2002/03 season, when he decided to focus on speed skating.

Most influential person in career	His brother Jay Morrison. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
Injuries	In April 2016 he completed a 25-day mountain bike tour in the United States of America. On the way back to Canada he began slurring his words and was hospitalised in Salt Lake City in Utah for a few days, where doctors told him he had suffered a stroke. Two stents were surgically implanted in his neck in June 2016 and he began racing again three months later. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017; cbc.ca, 17 Oct 2016) He was involved in a motorcycle accident in May 2015 in which he sustained a concussion, a punctured lung, a torn anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in his knee, bruised liver and kidneys and a small fracture in a bone near his spine. He returned to competition in March 2016. (cbc.ca, 17 Oct 2016; schaatsen.nl, 25 Apr 2016) He broke his leg cross-country skiing in December 2012, and was out of action for four months. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017; theglobeandmail.com, 18 Jan 2013) He has suffered an acromioclavicular joint separation [AC separation] during his career. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"No excuses." (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)

www.denny-morrison.com/
twitter.com/Denny_Morrison
www.facebook.com/1.DennyM

Other information

RETIREMENT He announced his retirement from competitive speed skating in February 2020, having been away from competition since 2018. He said he planned to apply to study medicine. "It took me that time to shift my goal from speed skating and achieving everything I can in speed skating and break what was a habit in some ways of never wanting to give up and not wanting to quit until I was bumped off the team, to realising I have other goals in life and in school." (globalnews.ca, 07 Feb 2020) INJURIES AND STROKE He suffered serious injuries, including a punctured lung and a small fracture to a bone near his spine, in a motorcycle accident in May 2015. He returned to the ice in March the following year. In April 2016 he suffered a stroke, and required two stents to be surgically inserted into his neck. He was back in competition less than six months later. "After the motorcycle accident, I could push myself as hard as my pain tolerance would allow and my heart rate, there was no limitation really. With the stroke I could not raise my blood pressure and potentially have one of these stents come loose and travel into my brain and kill me. When you put it in that simple of terms you're like, 'Alright', but you get a little stir crazy too." (cbc.ca, 17 Oct 2016) SUPER SUBSTITUTE He competed in the 1000m at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi after teammate Gilmore Junio offered to give up his spot in the event. Junio felt it was in the best interests of the Canadian team that Morrison raced instead of him. Morrison went on to win a silver medal in the event. "Giving up your spot is unprecedented. I feel like getting my medal and cutting it in half because he deserves it." (huffingtonpost.ca, 12 Feb 2014; nbcsports.com, 12 Feb 2014)