Margaret George

Having been born in a log cabin on a farm in Mervin, Saskatchewan, Margaret George lived her life under the philosophy that it is not where you come from in life that is important, but where you go. Born into a family that would eventually grow to four girls, she looked up to her father and was interested in sport from a young age. Rural life in Saskatchewan provided her ample opportunities to train physically, including her daily walk to school, which was 2.5 miles away, and splitting wood to help heat the family’s home. In her younger days she played soccer with the boys and was successful in fastball as a catcher, alongside her older, pitching sister, and sometimes played up to three games a day in local championships.

George discovered her true passion, however, in Grade 8, when Saskatchewan provincial representatives were going to small towns to introduce discus, javelin, and shot put. Recommended to the reps by her principal Ed Nelson, she took up field athletics and was soon a rising provincial star. During Grade 12, the high school record for the javelin throw, her best event, was 102 feet, but George won the title that year with a throw of 120 feet. This caught the attention of Joe Griffiths of Saskatoon, who was already well-known for his successfully training of provincial athletes. He sent her to a summer physical education program at the Young Women’s Christian Association in Saskatoon.

George then took part in the Saskatchewan Athletics’ annual summer track meet, from which 10 athletes would be sent to Toronto for the Canadian Track and Field Association’s Canadian Olympic Training Program. Following the conclusion of the program, she travelled to Hamilton for the trials for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. There, she set a record of 44.42 metres (145.5 feet), breaking the previous record of 131 feet, thus qualifying her for the Games. Unfortunately, she could not match this at the Olympics and was eliminated in the qualifying round.

Following this, George attended teacher’s college and began coaching discus, javelin, and shot put. She taught in Harris, Saskatchewan for three years before marrying a wealthy farmer, George Tosh. She then coached at a local high school for over 20 years on a volunteer basis and eventually became certified as a Level 2 course conductor with the Saskatchewan Provincial Physical Educational Institute Association, which allowed her to coach other coaches. Her reputation grew quickly as she held provincial field clinics and served as a field referee, in addition to her responsibilities on the family farm, where at one time they were raising over 1000 sheep.

Tosh remains athletically active into her 80s and was planning to attend the World Masters Athletics Championships before they were cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this, she had set numerous World Masters’ records in different age categories for the javelin, discus, shot put, weight throw, and hammer throw. Although she holds more records in the weight throw, the hammer throw is her favourite event and she intends to compete in 2022 and works out several times a week under a newly-developed training regimen. In addition to farming, her husband was an accomplished musician who started the local high school band and was well-known for his photography, under the name George Tosh Photography. Together, they had three children, two daughters and a son.

Personal Best: JT – 44.42 (1956).