Percy Perry
Encyclopedia
Percy Adolphus Perry was a Canadian track and field
coach from Coquitlam, British Columbia
.
Perry was born in Port of Spain
, Trinidad
, and played on Trinidad's national soccer team before immigrating to Canada. Perry worked for the city of New Westminster
, and was responsible the design for the Westminster Quay boardwalk
.
Perry took over as head coach of Coquitlam Cheetahs
track and field club in 1989 when it was on the verge of folding. He stabilized the club's operations, and then worked as an advisor for the construction of Town Centre Stadium
, which the Cheetahs moved to after the 1991 B.C. Summer Games. During Perry's tenure with the Cheetahs, the club produced five Canadian Olympians
, including Perry's daughter, Tara Self. Perry also worked on training several college football players who went on to pro careers, including Bret Anderson
, Sandy Beveridge
, and most notably Doug Brown, who stated that Perry "pretty much taught me how to run".
Perry was a past member of the B.C. Athletics board of directors, and founded the Cheetahs' Jesse Bent Memorial Invitational track and field meet.
Norma and Percy Perry were inducted into the B.C. Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.
Perry died of cancer
on Wednesday, January 5, 2005. Town Centre Stadium was renamed to Percy Perry Stadium the following year.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
coach from Coquitlam, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Perry was born in Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, and played on Trinidad's national soccer team before immigrating to Canada. Perry worked for the city of New Westminster
New Westminster, British Columbia
New Westminster is an historically important city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and is a member municipality of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. It was founded as the capital of the Colony of British Columbia ....
, and was responsible the design for the Westminster Quay boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
.
Perry took over as head coach of Coquitlam Cheetahs
Coquitlam Cheetahs
The Coquitlam Cheetahs are a non-profit Canadian track and field club based in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Their home track is Percy Perry Stadium, named after former Cheetahs' coach Percy Perry....
track and field club in 1989 when it was on the verge of folding. He stabilized the club's operations, and then worked as an advisor for the construction of Town Centre Stadium
Percy Perry Stadium
Percy Perry Stadium is a multi-purpose, fully lit stadium in Coquitlam, British Columbia. It was built for the 1991 B.C. Summer Games, as part of the district's 100th anniversary, and has featured events with crowds of over 4,000 spectators...
, which the Cheetahs moved to after the 1991 B.C. Summer Games. During Perry's tenure with the Cheetahs, the club produced five Canadian Olympians
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, including Perry's daughter, Tara Self. Perry also worked on training several college football players who went on to pro careers, including Bret Anderson
Bret Anderson
Bret Anderson is a free agent placekicker and slotback who has played his entire career for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League....
, Sandy Beveridge
Sandy Beveridge
Sandy Beveridge is a retired professional Canadian football defensive back who played eight seasons on special teams and as a defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Tiger-Cats as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
, and most notably Doug Brown, who stated that Perry "pretty much taught me how to run".
Perry was a past member of the B.C. Athletics board of directors, and founded the Cheetahs' Jesse Bent Memorial Invitational track and field meet.
Norma and Percy Perry were inducted into the B.C. Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.
Perry died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on Wednesday, January 5, 2005. Town Centre Stadium was renamed to Percy Perry Stadium the following year.