Christina McDonald

Christina was born in Oshawa in 1969. After moving to Whitby in 1981, she attended Denis O’Connor Catholic High School.

Christina began her gymnastic career at the age of 4 with the Oshawa Gemini Gymnastic Club and her first major accomplishment was to finish in first place in the Argo Division at the Provincial Championships in Thunder Bay. She also took second place in the Novice Division at the Canadian National Meet in London, Ont.

In March of 1982, at the age of 12, Christina won 2 gold medals at the Junior National Gymnastics Meet in Burlington and finished in second place overall. The following year, she won 5 gold medals while capturing the Junior Women’s Title at the 1983 Canadian Championships. Other 1983 successes included winning the Junior Women’s Optional at St. Johns, Newfoundland, where she won 4 gold medals, and a third place overall finish at the Canadian Classics Meet at York University.

The year 1984 was also very rewarding for Christina as she placed third in the National Senior Category at the Olympic Selection Meet in Regina, finished fourth overall at the Champions Meet in Wembley, England, qualified for the 1984 Olympic Games (finishing second overall) and won the Overall Title at the Senior Women’s Compulsory Event.

Just prior to the 1984 Olympics, Christina broke her ankle, and unfortunately missed the opportunity of competing at the Olympics with her Canadian teammates. In 1985, she took third place at the Canadian Nationals in Victoria, B.C., followed by a bronze medal at the Grand Prix in Italy, and a win at the trials for the World Gymnastic Championships in September of that year.

That same year, Christina had a second place finish at the Canadian Championships, then as a member of the Canadian National Team, she won International Honours at the Pacific Rim Bar Event in China, and won a gold medal on the bars at the Showcase Meet in Belgium.

In 1987, Christina won 1 silver and 2 bronze medals at a meet in Bulgaria and in 1988, she fulfilled her dream of competing in the Olympics at the Summer Games in Seoul, Korea.

Christina also won a scholarship to the University of Florida where she competed with the school’s Gymnastics team and became a 2-time All-American.

Her other awards include Ontario Achievement Awards in 1986, 1987, and 1988, and an International Achievement Award in 1986.