Joseph Benjamin Keeper was a Canadian long-distance runner, and a member of the 1912 Canadian Olympic team.
11 Facts About Joe Keeper
1.
2.
Joseph Benjamin Joe Keeper, a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, was born at Walker Lake, Manitoba.
3.
Joe Keeper was sent to Brandon for schooling at the Brandon Indian Residential School, and it was while there that he showed an enthusiasm for long-distance running.
4.
In 1916, Joe Keeper joined the Army and served for two years in France.
5.
Joe Keeper received The Military Medal for his actions at Cambrai during WWI.
6.
In 1917, Joe Keeper joined with Tom Longboat to win an inter-Allied cross country championship near Vimy Ridge.
7.
Joe Keeper is the grandfather of actress and Canadian politician Tina Keeper.
8.
In 1910, Joe Keeper moved to Winnipeg, where he joined the North End Amateur Athletic Club.
9.
Joe Keeper raced in the 5000 metre run and in the 10,000 metre run, where he finished fourth in the 10,000 and ninth in the 5,000, the best result ever for a Canadian runner in those events.
10.
Joe Keeper was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1984.
11.
The Joe Keeper Memorial Run is held each spring by the Manitoba Runners' Association.