I attended the same high school as Mark Graham. He was older than me, so I didn’t know him, but he was a legend at Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School. He was smart, handsome, and an exceptional athlete. We were all in awe of his talent.
We were so proud and cheered him on when he competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a member in the 4x400m Relay and represented Canada at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.
After retiring from athletics, he enlisted in the Canadian Forces. While serving as Private with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, he was killed by “friendly fire” when his platoon was mistakenly attacked by an American aircraft on September 4, 2006.
Even though I didn’t know him personally, I was heartbroken when he died. He was so young and full of promise that one can’t help but wonder what else he would have achieved if he had more time. His accomplishments in athletics and his selfless duty in Afghanistan embodies the best of Canada.