Marita Payne
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Born |
October 7, 1960 Barbados |
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Weight | 57 kg (126 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
| Event(s) | 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres |
|
Medal record
|
|
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Marita Payne-Wiggins (born October 7, 1960) is a Canadian retired track and field athlete who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics. She is the co-Canadian record holder in the 400 metres, along with Jillian Richardson, and the legal Canadian record holder in the 200 metres.
Payne was born in Barbados and spent her early childhood in Christ Church, Barbados. As a young child, her parents, Ina and Clarence Payne, moved to New York City for school and work, leaving her behind in Barbados. In 1970, when Payne was nine, she rejoined her parents and the family settled in Toronto, Ontario, and later in Concord, Ontario. She 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, Payne enrolled in Florida State University (FSU), where she competed for the Seminoles track and field team before graduating in 1984. A 21-time NCAA All-American, she was a 400 metres national champion in 1982 and 1984; a 4 × 100 metres relay national champion in 1981, 1983, and 1984; an indoor 4 × 200 metres relay national champion in 1981; and a 4 × 400 metres relay national champion in 1983 and 1984. Payne also met her husband Mitchell Wiggins at FSU, while he played for the Seminoles basketball team.
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