From July 16 to 27, Gaels distance track runner Miles Brackenbury, MA’25, is set to represent Canada on the international stage for the half-marathon at the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany.
As one of the largest multi-sport events in the world, Brackenbury will join over 8,500 student-athletes from more than 150 countries competing in 18 sports at the World University Games. Canada hasn’t sent a team to the tournament since 2019, as the games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, and Athletics Canada declined to send a team in 2023 due to financial constraints.
Competing on the international stage has always been a dream for Brackenbury.
“I always just dreamed of representing my country on that stage. You see how the world comes together at these kinds of international events and it’s such a powerful feeling,” he said in an interview with The Journal.
“There were a couple of times where I was on the cusp of making an international competition. As you get older, you run out of junior teams. You’re no longer eligible for like a junior team, and as if it’s Olympics or bust,” Brackenbury said.
Tournaments like the World University Games allow elite student-athletes like Brackenbury to have their hard work recognized and give them the chance to compete against elite athletes in an event with a scope only rivalled by the Olympics.
The road to this success wasn’t easy for Brackenbury. A bout with ankylosing spondylitis—causing long-term inflammation of the joints and ligaments in the spine—sidelined him for six months last year. Despite the setback, Brackenbury returned and helped the Gaels win gold at Nationals, and this comeback inspired him to keep aiming higher.
“I saw this opportunity and I said I have to give it a go. We wrapped up our indoor track season, and I had a month to prepare for the half-marathon,” he said.
Brackenbury travelled to Montreal to compete in the 21K de Montreal with the goal of breaking through FISU’s half-marathon entry standard of 1:10:00. He finished third in the event with a 01:09:01, and a couple of weeks later, it was official—Brackenbury would represent Team Canada on the international stage. “I couldn’t believe it. It was like a dream,” he said.
“I’m excited to go to [World University Games] and represent our country, and no one got there alone. We often focus on the individual, but that individual is propped up by their upbringing, by their teachers, mentors, friends, and family,” Brackenbury said.
Yet, there is one large obstacle athletes face in attending FISU-organized events according to Brackenbury—money. “It’s hard when people then need to also financially support that athlete because not everyone has the same means,” he said. In light of the financial burden associated with attending the event, Brackenbury decided to start a GoFundMe to help him compete at the international stage.
Brackenbury holds his community close to his heart. As a result of everyone’s generosity, the Kingston native is donating 50 per cent of the proceeds from his GoFundMe to the Pete Petersen Basketball League. The kicker—Brackenbury is donating the money to the organization despite being short of his $5,000 goal to attend the FISU games.
Brackenbury explained that he’s involved with the Pete Petersen Basketball League, which was the first league he ever played in and is all about having fun. He truly believes in their nonprofit and keeps volunteering with them. In aiming to secure some financial support, Brackenbury hopes to help the next generation, so more kids can have the opportunity to play sports and maybe find themselves in a similar position someday. For him, it’s a real privilege, and he acknowledges he wouldn’t be who he is today without that experience.
Gaels and fans can catch Brackenbury donning the Maple Leaf at the World University Games on July 26th at 2:00 a.m., EST.
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