Dayle Gaskarth’s Olympic Dream Come True
Dayle Gaskarth holds the Olympic Torch during her run as an Olympic Torchbearer during the 1988 Olympic Torch Relay.
Galt Museum & Archives, 20201078003.
Dayle Gaskarth did not shy away from a challenge. Growing up in Calgary, she played sports and sang in the Foothills Opera Company. When she moved to Lethbridge, she became a certified instructor at the YMCA, volunteered at Nicholas Sheran School, and was a soprano soloist at her church. In 1985, Gaskarth entered the challenge of a lifetime.
That year, The XV Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee and Petro-Canada announced the details of the torch relay for the 1988 Calgary Olympics. The torchbearer selection process was the biggest competition of its kind in Canada. Application forms were handed out at Petro-Canada gas stations, and nearly seven million people applied! Despite the odds, Dayle Gaskarth was chosen to be a torchbearer.
Failure was not an option. To reach her goal, the Gaskarths sent in over 600 applications! Her dream came true in 1987 when she was chosen as an official Olympic Torchbearer. She received a congratulatory letter and an information packet to prepare for the upcoming event. Gaskarth was proud to represent her southern Alberta community on the global stage.
Dayle Gaskarth running with the Olympic Torch on the official Olympic Torch Relay.
Galt Museum & Archives, 20201078003
Finally, on Friday, February 5, 1988, day 81 of the Olympic Torch Relay, Dayle Gaskarth put on her official Olympic Torch Runner Relay uniform. Completely focused, she took her place at the 77.6 km mark of the relay. At 5:31 pm on Highway 3, she took the torch and began her run. Smiling all the way, Gaskarth ran from the exit for Westside Drive to the overpass of Highway 3 and Highway 25.
For seven unforgettable minutes, the family cheered her on. At 5:38 pm, she reached the 78.7 km mark, and passed the torch to the next runner. Gaskarth cherished the experience of running that one kilometre for over 30 years.
In 2020, Dayle’s husband, David Gaskarth, donated her official Olympic Torch Runner Relay Uniform, her scrapbook, photographs, and other items from the 1988 Olympics to the Galt Museum & Archives. Find out more about Dayle Gaskarth and the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics by searching our database at collections.galtmuseum.com.