An Evening With Valerie Jerome
In honour of Black History Month, join us for a talk by North Shore resident Valerie Jerome where she'll be reading excerpts from her book Races: The Trials and Triumphs of Canada's Fastest Family.
Doors at 6:30pm
Talk at 7:00pm
Your RSVP will guarantee you a seat at the event
Valerie Jerome will also be at Meet Me at The Gallery on Wednesday, February 4
About Valerie Jerome
Valerie Jerome was born in St. Boniface, Manitoba in 1944 to Harry Sr. and Elsie Jerome. In 1951, her family of five children settled in North Vancouver, where they endured pervasive racism in what was then an all-white community.
In 1959, her life took a transformative turn when she and her brother Harry Jerome became Canadian National Track and Field Champions at the age of 15. Both went on to compete at the Pan American Games, where she won a bronze medal, placed fourth in the 100 metres, and was a member of Canada’s 4×100-metre relay team. The following year, she earned a place on Canada’s 1960 Olympic team in Rome. After a six-year hiatus from competition, she returned to the sport as a member of Canada’s team at the 1966 British Commonwealth Games.
She began a successful and deeply fulfilling 35-year teaching career in 1964, the same year she married fellow athlete Ron Parker. Coaching at her schools and with track clubs became a lifelong passion. Beginning with the inaugural Canada Summer Games in 1973, and for more than 30 years thereafter, she served as a chief official at track meets across the country, specializing as a Long Jump and Triple Jump official. Her officiating career included the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the 1978 and 1994 Commonwealth Games, the 2001 World Championships, as well as World Indoor and World Youth Championships.
In 2022, she published a family memoir titled RACES, which earned her the 2023 Track and Field Writers of America Award. In connection with the book, she has completed more than 110 speaking engagements across British Columbia and throughout Canada. In 2025, she proudly received the King Charles III Coronation Medal and was honoured as a recipient of both the BC Achievement Award and the Keith Mitchell Award.
Banner Image: Valerie Jerome and Harry Jerome, August 20, 1960. Photo: NVMA 14862