Catriona Le May Doan passionate about new role as chair of Canada Games Council

The Canada Games is unique to the country with an ability to touch all citizens, says the recently elected chair to the Canada Games Council.

Telling the story about the power of the nearly 60-year-old event is a goal of retired long track speed skater Catriona Le May Doan, who has been an athlete, media member, volunteer and CGC board member for much of the past 40 years.

"I love the Canada Games. I believe in [it]. I know the impact it can have and I'm excited to take on the role," the Saskatoon-born Le May Doan said in a Thursday interview with CBC Sports' Anastasia Bucsis.

In 1983, Le May Doan had just turned 12 before attending her first Canada Games as an athlete in Saguenay/Lac Saint-Jean, Que.

"I was a deer in headlights. We were [housed] in a gym with about 30 of us on army cots," she said, sporting a grey zippered Canada Games top.

She was amazed by the vastness of the competition and how many other sports were part of the Games.

WATCH l Doan on Canada Games, 2026 Winter Olympics: 

2-time Olympic champion Catriona Le May Doan elected chair of Canada Games Council

Looking back on an athletic career that featured a Canadian record and two Olympic gold medals in the women's 500 metres in 1998 (Nagano, Japan) and 2002 (Salt Lake City), Le May Doan recalled her second Canada Games in 1987 in Cape Breton County, N.S.

"You learn to perform [on-demand] in that high-pressure situation," said Le May Doan, who also won three world championship titles. "When you go to a Canada Games, you want to stand on the [medal] podium [like] at any level of competition.

"It taught me how to deal with a multi-sport Games, how to deal with a Games environment, because I started to understand I'm one member [of a team] and I'm not