Terry Tobacco

By the age of 15, Terry Tobacco was a high school sprinting champion, which led to his selection to represent Canada at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games two years later. There, he took bronze in the 440 yards, as well as silver in the 4x400 yards relay, alongside Doug Clement, Joe Foreman, and Laird Sloan. This quartet, with Murray Cockburn replacing Foreman, went on to represent their nation at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where they placed fifth. Tobacco was also a non-starting reserve in the 4x100 metres relay, and individually was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 400 metres.

Tobacco and Clement went on to contest the 4x400 yards relay at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, with George Shepherd and Joe Mullins, but just missed a medal in fourth. Individually, however, Tobacco took bronze in the 440 yards. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he competed in both relays and the 400 metres, but was eliminated before the final in all of his events. He also competed for the University of Washington, where he became an All-American in 1959. He later worked as a teacher, and was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He helped carry the torch at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Personal Bests: 100y – 9.8 (1953); 400 – 46.3 (1959).