This year's Olympic Games just got one more talented athlete: Canadian boxer Mary Spencer just found out that she will be allowed to represent her country at the Games.
The female boxer, (and three time world champion) was awarded a wildcard spot by Olympic officials today to compete in her 75-kg weight class. Women's boxing is making its Olympic debut at the London 2012 Games this summer. And Spencer, from Cape Croker First Nation near Wiarton, Ontario, is considered one of Canada's best bets for Olympic gold. But she failed to secure a Games berth at the women's world championships in May.
Now, thanks to the wildcard, her Olympic dream is alive. Upon hearing today's news, Spencer said, "the route to London was not as expected, but I feel I've learned a lot and I will take those lessons with me on the final leg of the journey ... and I'm looking forward to the honour of representing Canada in the ring in London."
And if there were any questions about whether Spencer's star is rising, consider this: She is featured prominently in a splashy ad campaign from the Canadian Olympic Committee. She's also one of the new faces of CoverGirl, joining the likes of Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry and Taylor Swift. And she's involved in community building as a member of Motivate Canada's GEN 7 Aboriginal role model initiative. Mary's been developing sport, physical activity and empowerment programming with Aboriginal youth in First Nations communities in Ontario.
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