Debues Stafford claims another Canadian championship

Competing at the 2025 Canadian Track & Field Championships presented by Bell, University of Toronto Varsity Blues cross country and track and field alumna Gabriela Debues Stafford added another two Canadian championships to her impressive resume.

Taking to the track in Ottawa this past weekend, the two-time Olympian captured national titles in both the 5000m and the 1500m. A special finish to the 1500m final on the last day of competition, Debues Stafford shared the podium with her sister and fellow Varsity Blues alumna Lucia Stafford who finished second overall.

"I just was focused on hitting another gear, another gear, another gear. If that got me the win, then I couldn't really do anything else," DeBues Stafford said. "We always assume that people are right behind you. My last two races, there were people right behind me and  I got passed right in the last 50 metres. So I was just like, not today, not today. I'm winning."

"Having my big sister in the race, it's like there's always been this mantra of 'if she can do it, I can do it'. So I saw her pull away and I just stuck right on her. I trust my wheels and it wasn't until the last a 100 metres that she kind of pulled away. It was a lot of fun," Lucia Stafford said.

Further national championship medal results from Varsity Blues alumi included a silver medal finish for Jazz Shukla in the women's 800m and a silver medal for Femi Akinduro in the men's triple jump.

As for Varsity Blues track and field athletes from the most recent 2025-26 roster, Gloria Etim earned a fifth-place finish in the women's U20 100m and sixth-place result in the women's U20 200m, Felimon Henok captured sixth-place in the men's 400m, and Jason Okpere placed sixth overall in the men's U20 hammer throw.