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Wings For Life World Run: How Summer McIntosh plans to make a splash
Wings for Life ambassador Summer McIntosh, is gearing up for the race. The swimming sensation will partake in the run through the Virtual App to raise awareness for spinal cord injury.
Summer McIntosh, who went from being a 14-year-old contender to a four-time Olympic medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, shares the philosophy of always wanting more and never being satisfied as a high-performance athlete. McIntosh, who hails from Toronto, Canada, but is based in Austin, Texas, will log onto the App on May 10 to be part of the world’s largest running event.
McIntosh, who began her sporting career as a figure skater before pivoting to swimming, says that the Wings for Life Run is a crucial platform in order to raise awareness for spinal cord injury.
While she hasn’t been directly impacted by spinal cord injury, her father Greg’s cancer diagnosis in 2021 put life into perspective. The two-time Olympian, who became Canada’s youngest-ever participant at the global games at the age of 14 in Tokyo in 2021, is cognisant of utilising her growing influence to raise awareness for causes which require a spotlight to be shone on them.
Summer McIntosh chasing down records
© Jussi Grznar/Red Bull Content Pool
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O1 A Digital Native as a Gen Z
As a Generation Z, McIntosh is a digital native and she is impressed with the Virtual Catcher Car concept which the Wings for Life Run will make use of. “In terms of not chasing a finish line, it’s definitely a different concept but a great one with the Virtual Catcher Car,” says McIntosh, who, like millions of others around the world, will log onto her phone on May 10 and prove a participant.
“As a swimmer, of course I’m used to having a set distance and trying to go a certain amount of time,” she says. “This is kind of the opposite of that but I’m excited to participate. I’ll actually be at an altitude training camp based in Colorado and fortunately the race falls on a Sunday which is my only day off during the week from swimming.” McIntosh underlines that the Run App makes it a lot more accessible for those who won’t be able to do it at one of the main areas. “I can do the race through my phone which is the way the world is going,” she says of the virtual race format.
“Any time I get to use my platform to raise awareness for issues like spinal cord injury which are super-important to my values and my partnerships’ values, I maximise those opportunities,” says McIntosh, who is a two-time World Aquatics Female Swimmer of the Year. “Even if it makes a small or big difference, I do as much as I can to put both time and effort into raising awareness.”
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O2 Following in Phelps’ Footsteps
Growing up, McIntosh idolised Michael Phelps and she has now come full circle in being coached by Bob Bowman who formed a formidable partnership with Phelps during his decorated swimming career. “I always go back to Michael growing up and, to now be able to say that we have the same coach, it’s both pretty crazy and super cool and I also swim in the same events that he used to.”
McIntosh admires the fact that Bowman shows up every single day with the same mindset and discipline and it’s something which she tries to apply to her own training. “He is willing to put in the work, never gives an ounce of energy elsewhere and is 100% focused on the task at hand.”
McIntosh says that she has long been inspired by Phelps in terms of what he did and how dominant he was over many years. When it comes to athletes with disabilities, McIntosh admits that she is not as well-versed in said area but, when she participated at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, she enjoyed the experience because it was a combination of able-bodied athletes and those with a disability who competed at the event. “It was really cool to see their side of things,” she says. “I saw how different it is but there are also similarities as well.”
Summer McIntosh
© Jussi Grznar
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O3 A Sport of Dedication and Discipline
Swimming is a sport which requires plenty of dedication, discipline and time every single day. It’s not the type of vocation which you can do for an hour a day and hope to get better at. At the top level, the reality is that everyone is training hard and for hours on end. Most days, McIntosh trains twice a day, with each practice taking around two hours. She also does weight training three times a week and biking and core exercises on top of that. Her week usually comprises nine to ten swim sessions and three to four weight sessions. The past few weeks have seen McIntosh hit a total of 70km in the water which is high mileage for a non-distance, non-open water swimmer but she says that in order to reach her list of personal objectives, said training routine is non-negotiable.
“Sometimes I forget that I’ve still got my whole career ahead of me because by the age of 17, I had already gone to two Olympics,” she says. “Leaving my first Olympics, getting fourth place twice left me very hungry and motivated for more.” Even though McIntosh then exited Paris with three gold medals, she also earned a silver and that left her wanting more heading into LA 2028.
“Most athletes could say that we all share this mentality of always wanting more. It’s never enough and you are never truly fully satisfied," she says matter-of-factly. “It’s what keeps me motivated, wanting more and sees me stay humble and disciplined every single day for the task at hand.”
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O4 A Global Event that Unites
The Los Angeles Olympics is still two-and-a-half years away and a lot can still change but McIntosh says that her goal is to qualify for five individual events. “Once I get to LA, my goal is to get my hand on the wall as many times as possible for Canada and to boost our medal count.”
The Olympic Games’ motto is: Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together. “It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to be in the Olympic Village,” she says. “Seeing athletes from all over the world coming together to share their determination, hard work and love for their sports is super cool.”
The Olympic Games, like the Wings for Life Run, unites people through emotion and shared experience. “The Wings for Life Run is also a global event and it just shows how sport brings people together. I think it’s a really cool opportunity for anyone to join in on and to experience.”
McIntosh says the fact the Olympics are only held once every four years makes events such as the Wings for Life Run, which is an annual event now into its 13th edition, even more attractive. “It connects people all over the world which is something that’s really cool. Wings for Life challenges people in different ways that they’re not used to and gets them out there and active.”
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O5 Run With The Wings App
It's not too late to enter: Use the Wings for Life World Run App to run or use a wheelchair anywhere on your own, or join others at an App Run event. As a global run for everyone, it’s unique. Everyone starts at the same time around the world, running together against the Catcher Car. 100% of all entry fees and donations go to help to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Click on this link to register on the App.
