Dana Ellis

Dana Ellis began competing as a gymnast at age four, eventually becoming a member of the Canadian National Gymnastics Team. At age 17 an injury forced Ellis to retire and she took up pole vaulting.

As a student at the University of Waterloo, Ellis was a member of the university track team. She was 1999 rookie of the year and 2002 athlete of the year.

In 2004 and 2005 Ellis won a gold medal at the Canadian National Track & Field Championships; she established a Canadian pole vault record of 4.51 metres in 2005. In 2004 she qualified for the Olympic Games in Athens, placing sixth overall in pole vault. Ellis placed sixth in the Helsinki World Championship in 2005; fifth at the Monte Carlo World Games; and fourth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

In 2004, Ellis was named Canadian Field Athlete of the Year. In 2005/06, she was the seventh ranked pole vaulter in the world and is currently the indoor and outdoor Canadian national record holder in the women’s pole vault at a height of 4.52 metres.

Ellis graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Honours Kinesiology (Pre-Health Professions Option). She is currently completing her medical degree at St. Matthew’s School of Medicine in Grand Cayman.