10 Facts About Marita Payne

Marita Payne is the co-Canadian record holder in the 400 metres, along with Jillian Richardson, and previously held the Canadian record in the 200 metres.

In 1970, when Marita Payne was nine, she rejoined her parents and the family settled in Toronto, Ontario, and later in Concord, Ontario.

Marita Payne attended Vaughan Road Collegiate Institute in Toronto, where she blossomed into a star sprinter, becoming an Ontario provincial champion in both the senior 100 metres and 200 metres in 1979.

In 1980, Marita Payne enrolled at Florida State University, where she competed for the Seminoles track and field team before graduating in 1984.

Marita Payne met her husband Mitchell Wiggins at FSU, while he played for the Seminoles basketball team.

Marita Payne competed in the inaugural World Championships two weeks earlier.

Marita Payne finished fourth in the individual 400 metres, establishing a new Canadian record.

Marita Payne was a semi-finalist in the individual 400 metres race.

Marita Payne was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame in 1991.

Marita Payne Park, located in Concord, where she was raised, is within walking distance of her family's current residence in Vaughan.