Crooks was born in Mandeville, Jamaica and moved to Toronto, Canada at the age of six. Crooks attended Winona Public elementary school and West Toronto Secondary School, where she participated in athletics. In 1979 and 1980, Crooks was Ontario high school champion in the 400 metres.[2] Crooks attended the University of Texas-El Paso on an athletic scholarshp and was named 'All-American' six times.[3]
Crooks represented Canada for almost 20 years in athletics. Crooks participated in five Olympic Games. One highlight was the silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the 4x400m relay.[4]
After retiring from active competition, Crooks moved into sports administration. Since 1994, Crooks is the president and founder of NGU Consultants, a sports marketing, management and corporate consulting company.[5] She is also a keynote speaker, appearing at national and international conferences, corporate meetings and retreats and speaking on topics ranging from team building, leadership, inspiration and the Olympic Movement.
Crooks was elected to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission in 1996 and was elected as a full voting member of the IOC from 2000 to 2004. She continues to serve on the IOC Athletes' Commission, has been a member of the IOC Press Commission since 2001, and was a founding member of the independent IOC Ethics Commission.
As an elected member of the executive board of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Crooks is Chair of Olympians Canada (alumni body of Olympians) and the COC's Awards and Recognition/Hall of Fame Committee. As one of the original 2010 Olympic bid team members (since 1998) she is also one of twenty directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), and served on both the VANOC Governance and Strategic Communications Committee.
From 2003-2011, Crooks was elected by her peers to serve on the executive board of the alumni body of Olympians,[6] the World Olympians Association (WOA) and was a WOA Vice President. She was the founding and first Chair of the PASO Athletes' Commission. Crooks is a founding member and past member of the International Board of Directors for Right To Play, an athlete-driven international humanitarian organization that uses sports to encourage the development of youth in disadvantaged areas.
Crooks is a current board member of the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and has been a longstanding honorary member of Big Sisters of the Lower Mainland since 2000. She is also a member of FIFA's Organizing Committee for Competitions.
In 2006, Crooks was awarded the Women And Sport Trophy for Canada/America by the International Olympic Committee.[4]
On May 1, 2021, Crooks was named vice president of Canada Soccer.[7]
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