Bernie Willock

Last updated

Bernie Willock
Personal information
Born Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Team information
Discipline Road racing
Major wins
1980 Canadian Championships
Medal record
Men's road bicycle racing
Canadian National Road Race Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg1980Road race
Pan American Games
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1979 Puerto Rico Team time trial

Bernard Willock is a Canadian businessman and former cyclist. Willock has worked as the President and CEO of Food for the Hungry Canada, and owned La-Z-Boy licensed furniture stores. As a cyclist, Willock won the 1980 Canadian National Road Race Championships, and was part of the Canadian team that came third in the team time trial event at the 1979 Pan American Games. He was scheduled to compete at the 1980 Summer Olympics, until Canada joined the boycott of the event, and competed at the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

Contents

Cycling career

Willock was a member of Victoria Wheelers cycling club. [1] Willock was part of the Canadian team, alongside Eon D'Ornellas, Pierre Harvey and Normand St-Aubin, that came third in the team time trial event at the 1979 Pan American Games. [1] In 1980, Willock won the Canadian National Road Race Championships. [2] He was in the British Columbian team that came second in the Canadian Provincial 100 km team time trial. British Columbia lost the race's lead to Quebec after being incorrectly directed by the course motorbikes, which led to a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) diversion. [3]

Willock qualified to compete in the road race and team time trial events at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. [2] In June 1980, Canada joined the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, and so Willock was unable to attend the Games. [4] Willock was critical of the boycott, saying that the only outcome of it was the retaliatory 1984 Summer Olympics boycott. [2] In 1981, Willock won the Whistler two-day 220 km cycle race, finishing ahead of his brother Martin. [5] [6] He was also part of the British Columbian team that won the 1981 Canadian Provincial 100 km team time trial, [3] and also came fifth at that year's Gastown Grand Prix. [7]

Willock was part of the Canadian team that came seventh in the team event at the 1982 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Leicester, England, and eleventh at the team time trial event at the 1982 UCI Road World Championships. [8] He competed in the team time trial event at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Australia, where Canada finished sixth. [9]

Willock retired from cycling after the 1982 Commonwealth Games. [2] He later coached his brother Martin, [10] and was also a coach at the Victoria Wheelers club. [2] In 1988, he returned to cycling on a casual basis. [2]

Business career

In 1999, Willock and a friend set up a La-Z-Boy licensed furniture store in Victoria. [11] They later opened another store in Nanaimo in 2003. [12] In 2011, Willock retired from the furniture business and sold his shares in the stores. [13] In 2014, Willock became the President and CEO of Food for the Hungry Canada. [14]

Personal life

Willock is from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. [2] He is the brother of Martin Willock who competed for Canada in the team time trial event at the 1984 Summer Olympics. [10] His niece Erinne Willock competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics. [4]

Related Research Articles

1976 Summer Olympics Games of the XXI Olympiad, held in Montreal in 1976

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad and commonly known as Montréal 1976, were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam on May 12, 1970. Montreal is the second French speaking city to host the Summer Olympics after Paris, over the bids of Moscow and Los Angeles. It was the first and, so far, only Summer Olympic Games to be held in Canada. Toronto hosted the 1976 Summer Paralympics the same year as the Montreal Olympics, which still remains the only Summer Paralympics to be held in Canada. Calgary and Vancouver later hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1988 and 2010, respectively.

1980 Summer Olympics Games of the XXII Olympiad, held in Moscow in 1980

The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad and commonly known as Moscow 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russia. The Games were the first to be staged in Eastern Europe, and remain the only Summer Olympics held there, as well as the first Olympic Games and only Summer Olympics to be held in a Slavic language-speaking country. They were also the only Summer Olympic Games to be held in a communist country until 2008 Summer Olympics held in China. These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC Presidency of Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin.

1980 Summer Olympics boycott International protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was one part of a number of actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, which hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics, and its allies would later boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics Sporting event delegation

Canada, represented by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, from August 8 to 24, 2008. Canadian athletes had competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900 with the exception of 1980, which were boycotted in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Canada sent 332 athletes in 25 sports, the seventh largest team at the games and Canada's largest since 1988. Canada did not send a team in handball, volleyball or basketball. Kayaker and 2004 Summer Olympics gold medalist Adam van Koeverden was the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies; Karen Cockburn bore the flag at the closing.

John Clifford Moffet is an American former swimmer who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, having also been selected for the 1980 Summer Olympics that were ultimately boycotted by the United States. At the 1984 Olympics, he finished fifth in the final of the men's 100-meter breaststroke event. In 1985 he won three gold medals at both the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and the Summer Universiade. In 1986, he concluded his collegiate career, after winning five NCAA Division 1 Championships, and moved into the entertainment industry. As a television producer he is a three-time Primetime Emmy Award winner for The Amazing Race.

Canada at the 2012 Summer Olympics Sporting event delegation

Canada, represented by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Canadian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the country's support for the United States-led boycott. Canada sent a total of 281 athletes to the Games to compete in 24 sports. The COC set a goal of finishing in the top 12 for total medals; but the nation failed to achieve this, finishing with a total of 18 medals. Canada matched its total medal count from Beijing 2008. At London, with the initiation of its "Own the Podium" programme, Canada finished 13th in total medals, thus improving on its 14th place performance in Beijing while falling somewhat short of its self-declared goal of 12th position. It finished the event with 18 medals: one gold, five silver and 12 bronze.

Georgia Simmerling Canadian skier and cyclist

Georgia Simmerling is a Canadian road and track cyclist, who currently competes for UCI Women's Team Twenty20 Pro Cycling. Simmerling has also previously competed in alpine skiing and skicross, and is the first Canadian to compete in three different sports in three different Olympic Games.

John Gregorek is an American former middle-distance runner who competed in the Summer Olympics in 1980 (boycotted) and 1984. His son, John Gregorek Jr., is also a competitive middle-distance runner, who competed in the 2017 World Championships.

The Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix is a criterium cycling race held in Gastown, the oldest neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The race is part of BC Superweek, a series of nine races held over 10 days in July in the greater Vancouver area.

Carol Cooke

Carol Lynn Cooke, is a Canadian-born Australian cyclist, swimmer and rower. A keen swimmer, she was part of the Canadian national swimming team and was hoping to be selected for the 1980 Moscow Olympics before her country boycotted the games. She moved to Australia in 1994, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, and took up rowing in 2006, in which she narrowly missed out on being part of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. She then switched to cycling, where she won a gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics and two gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics.

Bernd Drogan

Bernd Drogan is a retired East German cyclist who was active between 1971 and 1987. In 1979 he won a gold and a bronze medal in the road race at the World Cycling Championships, with the German team and individually. Next year he won a silver medal in the 100 km team time trial at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Erinne Willock is a Canadian professional road cyclist. She represented her nation Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and also claimed a silver medal in the women's time trial at the 2006 Pan American Road and Track Championships in Valencia, Venezuela. Willock currently races for TIBCO-To-The-Top pro cycling team since she joined in 2011.

Alexandra "Alex" Wrubleski is a Canadian retired professional road cyclist. She has awarded three Canadian championship titles in both road race and time trial, and later represented her nation Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Wrubleski also raced for the United States' Webcor Builders Cycling Team, before she took a wide sporting break at the end of 2010 season.

Gina Grain is a Canadian retired professional road and track cyclist. She won a silver medal in women' scratch at the 2006 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Bordeaux, France, and later represented her nation Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Before retiring to focus on her personal life and kinesiology career and in 2010, Grain rode with a large number of U.S. and Canadian road racing teams, in addition to her short stint with the Hong Kong-registered Giant Pro Cycling in 2006.

Cycling at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Mens track time trial

The men's track time trial cycling event at the 1984 Summer Olympics took place on 30 July and was one of eight cycling events at the 1984 Olympics. There were 25 competitors from 25 nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. Two other cyclists entered but did not start. The event was won by Fredy Schmidtke of West Germany, the nation's first victory in the men's track time trial and the third consecutive Games in which a German cyclist won. Curt Harnett earned Canada's first medal in the event with his silver, while France returned to the podium for the first time since 1968 with Fabrice Colas's bronze.

Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Mens sprint

The men's sprint cycling event at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place from 21 to 24 September and was one of the nine cycling events at the 1988 Olympics. There were 25 competitors from 25 nations. After the 1984 Games had featured a humongously bloated 34-cyclist, 11-round, 63-match competition, the competition size was cut down by restricting nations to one cyclist yet again and instituting a qualifying round: this reduced the format to 25 cyclists, 8 rounds, and 29 matches. The event was won by Lutz Heßlich of East Germany, the 1980 gold medalist who was unable to compete in 1984 due to the Soviet-led boycott. Soviet cyclist Nikolai Kovsh took silver, the best result to date for the Soviets. Gary Neiwand of Australia earned bronze; for both the Soviets and Australians, it was the first medal in the event since 1972.

Gordon Singleton, is a past world-record holding Canadian cyclist. In 1982, he became the first Canadian cyclist to win a world championship, and he was the first, and only, cyclist in history to simultaneously hold world records in all three of cycling's sprint races: the 200m, 500m and 1000m distances. An Olympic racer, he was deprived of competing in the 1980 Olympics at the peak of his career by Canada's boycott of those games in Moscow.

Martin Willock is a Canadian former cyclist. He competed in the team time trial event at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Claire Backhouse-Sharpe is a Canadian badminton player and coach. Between 1978 and 1994, she competed in five editions of the Commonwealth Games for Canada, winning a single gold medal and five silver medals. Backhouse-Sharpe also participated in the World Badminton Championships and Uber Cup on five occasions each as part of the Canada national badminton team. She won multiple national and regional titles and was assistant coach and manager of the British Columbia Badminton team at the 1994 Canada Winter Games and the 1995 Western Canada Games. Backhouse-Sharpe was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Badminton Canada Hall of Fame.

Deborah Muir is a Canadian former synchronized swimmer and coach. She began her career with the Calgary Aquabelles club in 1965 and won silver medals in the synchronized swimming team competitions at both the 1971 Pan American Games and the 1973 World Aquatics Championships. At age 20, Muir retired from competition and began a career in coaching. She coached swimmers of the Calgary Aquabelles to 22 national titles over a decade. She also helped athletes clinch medals in the World Aquatics Championships, the FINA Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games. Muir has won various awards for her coaching career, and is an inductee of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tomsett shares pistol gold; Willock gets cycling bronze". Times Colonist . 3 July 1979. p. 12. Retrieved 7 May 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Cyclists' Olympic goal in sight". Times Colonist . 18 April 1988. p. 15. Retrieved 7 May 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Seniors find key to victory". Vancouver Sun . 30 July 1981. p. 33. Retrieved 16 April 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 "Games boycott should use dollars, not athletes". Times Colonist . Victoria, British Columbia: Canada.com. 12 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 August 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Willock pushes for team spot". The Province . 7 July 1983. p. 16. Retrieved 16 April 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Willocks in a sweep". Times Colonist . 13 July 1981. p. 12. Retrieved 16 April 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Hayman flying in Gastown". The Province . 4 August 1981. p. 20. Retrieved 16 April 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "The kids of summer head Down Under". Maclean's . 27 September 1982. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  9. ↑ "Bernard Willock". Commonwealth Games Federation . Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Idyllic setting provides training for tough ground". Times Colonist . 19 July 1984. p. 12. Retrieved 16 April 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Local team's vision and experience impressed La-Z-Boy". Times Colonist . 24 September 1999. p. 26. Retrieved 7 May 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "La-Z-Boy furniture has grand opening". Nanaimo Daily News . 22 September 2003. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Employees buy into La-z-boy Galleries". Times Colonist . 1 October 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2021– via PressReader.
  14. ↑ "Bernie's on Board!". Food for the Hungry. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.