Nineteen year old sprinter Percy Williams left Vancouver to hitchhike across Canada to take part in his country's Olympic trials. He made part of his way across the country by train, working as waiter in the dining car. In Amsterdam he stunned the sporting world with a 100-200 meter double victory. Upon return to Canada he made his way home again by train - but this time he traveled in style - on a victory tour. In Montreal he was presented with a gold watch, in Hamilton a silver tea service, and in Winnipeg a bronze statue. But the best was to come. At home in Vancouver the one time hitchhiker was given a Graham-Paige sports car.

Betty Robinson was the first female track star of the Olympic Games. She dazzled the fans in Amsterdam by sprinting to victory in the 100 meter dash in world record time. Three years later, while preparing to repeat her triumph at the 1932 Games, Robinson was seriously injured in a plane crash. She remained in a coma for seven weeks and suffered from both a badly broken knee and arm, as well as a deep cut across her head. It was two years before the legendary athlete could even walk properly and she never regained full use of her knee. Although it was obvious she would not become a top sprinter again (she could not block-start with her knee condition), Robinson yearned for another Olympic victory. She trained for the 4x100 relay team, (where only the first runner starts off the blocks). By 1936 she was back on the United States Olympic team, where she ran the third leg of the relay and won her long-awaited second gold medal.