View source for Leah Pells

{{short description|Canadian middle-distance runner}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| full_name = Leah Marlee Pells
| birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|November 9, 1964}}
| birth_place = [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height = 170 cm
| weight = 55 kg
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Women's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan American Games]] }}
{{MedalSilver | [[Athletics at the 1999 Pan American Games|1999 Winnipeg]] | [[Athletics at the 1999 Pan American Games – Women's 1500 metres|1500 metres]] }} 
}}

'''Leah Marlee Pells''' (born November 9, 1964, in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]) is a retired female [[track and field]] [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] from [[Canada]] who competed in the [[middle-distance running|middle distance]] events and was once ranked first in the world in the 1500 metres.<ref>Canoe.ca: {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120721024425/http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesBiosN2Z/pells.html Leah Pells]}} Retrieved on 4 September 2009</ref> She represented Canada at three consecutive [[Summer Olympics]] from [[Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] to 2000.  Pells finished fourth in the [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 1500 metres|1500 metre race]] in [[1996 Summer Olympics|Atlanta]].  Pells won the silver medal in the women's 1500 metres at the [[Athletics at the 1999 Pan American Games|1999 Pan American Games]] in [[Winnipeg]].

Pells published her autobiography ''Not About the Medal'' in 2012. In the book, she writes about being the daughter of an alcoholic, experiencing abuse and growing up impoverished.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/more/leah-pells-autobiography/|title=Pells chronicles triumph over adversity in book - Sportsnet.ca|website=www.sportsnet.ca|access-date=2019-03-31}}</ref>

Pells has one son and now works as a trained counsellor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.bell.ca/running-towards-mental-wellness-leah-pells-story-2/|title=Bell Blog|last=Canada|first=Bell|website=blog.bell.ca|access-date=2019-03-31}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Canadian records in track and field]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics|14267395}}
* {{Athletics Canada|leah-pells}}
* {{Team Canada|leah-pells}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com|leah-marlee-pells|Leah Marlee Pells}}
* {{CGF|40284|Leah Marlee Pells}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pells, Leah}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian female middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1998 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:Pan American Games track and field athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Canada]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Vancouver]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Coquitlam]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Simon Fraser Red Leafs women's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Simon Fraser University alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportswomen]]

{{Canada-middledistance-athletics-bio-stub}}