Nathan Gurrin-Smith

Nathan Peter Michael Gurrin-Smith was born on 25 April 1999 in Toronto, Ontario to Brian Smith and Susan Gurrin. They had stayed in Toronto for most of their lives when they decided to stay in Toronto after maintaining their jobs. Gurrin-Smith has no siblings.

As a child, Gurrin-Smith was diagnosed with Hyper IGE which had an impact on his youth. An interesting fact is that due to this, he ended up having pneumonia thirteen times and cellulitis nine times.^[1]

In November 1999 he started day care where he met his friend Ryan Kia.

When he was four, he stayed in Toronto with both his parents to attend junior kindergarten at St. Denis Catholic School. Despite common belief, Gurrin-Smith was not baptized and is not Catholic; his motivation for attending St. Denis was purely based on the day care benefits^[1]. While at St. Denis, he also joined TORCH swimming. At the end of his tenure at St. Denis, he started to develop an interest in distance running and triathlons.

When he was fourteen, he again stayed in Toronto with both of his parents to attend high school at Neil McNeil Catholic High School. There, he finally took on distance running as his full-time athletic venture, but still maintained his swimming form on the school swim team. Additionally, he met his friend Troy Perera.

When he was eighteen, he again stayed in Toronto, this time in the University College Sir Daniel Wilson's residence, to attend university at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Waylaid by a persistent Achilles tendon injury, his distance running career came to a disappointing end.^[1] While studying kinesiology, he developed a slight dislike for the "wet" sciences (a term he picked up from his high school science teachers^[1]) and the following year he transferred into the Faculty of Arts & Sciences to study mathematics and physics. Towards the end of his tenure as an undergraduate, he picked up his current athletic interest, bouldering.

Upon graduating at the age of twenty-three, he again stayed in Toronto and picked up a job selling climbing equipment at Mountain Equipment Company. He is currently waiting to hear back from the numerous graduate programs he applied to.^[1]

On March 22, 2023, he again decided to stay in Toronto to study applied mathematics at UofT in the MScAC program.

To some, it is a surprising fact that Gurrin-Smith went to school.

St. Denis Catholic School (2003-2013)

Gurrin-Smith first began his formal education in basic knowledge at St. Denis Catholic School in their junior kindergarten program in the year 2003. While there, he showed an average proficiency in basic math, English, and other subjects. In 2005, he graduated from St. Denis's kindergarten program, granted by the George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology,^[1] and was granted enrollment in their elementary school program. After a fairly uninspiring first half performance, he started putting out more and more impressive results and was granted the Academic Excellence award when he graduated in 2013.^[1]

Neil McNeil High School (2013-2017)

In 2013, Gurrin-Smith began his secondary education at Neil McNeil Catholic High School as a participant in their specialized Math, Science, and English (MSE) program. While there he developed his primary interest of health sciences by participating in the Specialist High Skills Major - Health and Wellness program. Additionally, he pursued more training in each of the math and sciences, developing a secondary interest in math and physics, and also a slight dislike of chemistry.

Courses []

In 2017, after four years of hard work, he graduated from Neil McNeil with his Ontario Secondary School Diploma and won several awards.

High School Awards []

Deciding to further advance his knowledge, he applied to university. In the spring of 2017 he announced his intention to study kinesiology at the University of Toronto.

University of Toronto (2017-2022)

Gurrin-Smith did his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto (UofT). During his time at UofT, he was given several awards, which are listed below.

University Awards []

Kinesiology (2017-2018)

In the fall of 2017, Gurrin-Smith began his post-secondary education as an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. Despite enjoying a few of his courses, he generally found the content and process of kinesiology to be boring, and picked up a copy of How to Prove It: A Structured Approach by Daniel Velleman. Despite finding the new math hard, he liked it more than kinesiology and decided to put in an application to transfer to the Mathematics and Physical Sciences stream in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at UofT. In the fall of 2018 he was accepted.

Courses []

Mathematics and Physics (2018-2022)

In the fall of 2018, Gurrin-Smith began his formal education in post-secondary mathematics and physics. After his first and second year, he decided his primary interest was mathematics but with a secondary interest in physics, and thus enrolled in the mathematics specialist as well as the physics major program. After his third-year, he further refined his interests and settled on applied mathematics. After his fourth-year, he further refined this interest to applied partial differential equations and computational methods.

Courses []

In the summer of 2022, Gurrin-Smith graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science with High Distinction and a cGPA of 3.9. He decided to take a gap year before pursuing graduate school. In the fall of 2022 he submitted his application to several graduate programs. On March 22, 2023, he accepted his offer of admission to the MScAC program at UofT.

Graduate Applications []

MScAC (2023-2024)

In the fall of 2023, Gurrin-Smith began his master's degree in the Master of Science in Applied Computing (MScAC) program at UofT. He took courses in computer graphics, computational social science, deep learning, and mathematical finance. While there, he worked as a TA in ENG286: Literature and Data and CSC148: Introduction to Computer Science. He got involved with the MScAC program by organizing the MScAC Snacks and Board Games student-led event with his co-organizer Rob Redelmeier. He also worked on improving the working conditions of the TAs and CIs in the department of computer science (DCS) by becoming a DCS steward for the TA/CI union, CUPE 3902 Unit 1.

Courses []

Gurrin-Smith first began his foray into the working world via a volunteer position at Variety Village in the summer of 2015. There, he assisted in running the swim camp for over 500 hours. Then, in the summer of 2016, he volunteered at North York General Hospital as a co-op student and assisted in the administration of the paediatric clinic. He is purported to have enjoyed his time educating and helping children, and so he took his first paid position as a camp counsellor at University of Toronto's track and field camp in the summer of 2018.

After this first stage of work, Gurrin-Smith began focusing on work that aligned more with his long-term career interests. He was (and purportedly is) still conflicted with what he wanted to do with his future, and so he picked up several jobs of varying flavours. Based on his interest in mathematics and education, he picked up a job as a teaching assistant for calculus in the fall of 2020, precalculus in the summer of 2021, and complex analysis in the fall of 2021 and winter of 2022. Additionally, he tutored grade 11 math in the fall of 2021. On the other side of the coin, he explored his interest in technology when he interned at the Bank of Montreal in the summer of 2019 and 2021. In his first internship he assisted in product management and quality assurance of the SAP systems at BMO, and in his second internship he maintained and developed Splunk reports and dashboards.

After finishing school, Gurrin-Smith took a gap year. At the start of this year, he researched mathematics in the Fields Undergraduate Summer Research Program at the Fields Institute. There, he worked with Professor Maurizio De Pittà, graduate student Giulio Bonifazi, and two other undergraduates: Bhavya and Faisal, to model calcium diffusion in astrocytes. After this, he further explored his rock climbing interest and picked up a job selling climbing gear at Mountain Equipment Company. After a previous coworker at BMO reached out to him asking if he wanted a job, and realizing the impending tuition costs of the MScAC program, he left MEC to work at BMO as a Junior Non-Specialized Developer.

In the spring of 2021, Gurrin-Smith began a relationship with C Yu.^[1]

Like many, Gurrin-Smith listens to music. He mainly listens to folk (Canadian, American, English, Irish, Australian), indie folk, hip hop, americana, and lo-fi. A limited list of artists he likes is: The Deep Dark Woods, Stan Rogers, JID, and Killer Mike.

Gurrin-Smith occasionally lets the thoughts of others into his brain when he picks up books and reads. He mainly reads non-fiction and fantasy books. Some books he has particularly enjoyed include The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Kingkiller Chronicles, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Running to the Edge. For more books he has read, one can check out his Goodreads.

Gurrin-Smith is friends with the following people.^[1]

Friends []

Hobbies

Gurrin-Smith has probably a few more hobbies than one should, with frequent reports of him not paying enough attention to each of them.^[2]

One persistent hobby Gurrin-Smith has held is his interest in video games. When he was a young child, he enjoyed Pokémon and Pikman. While in the later stages of elementary school, he mainly played Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Skyrim. In high school, he played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (reaching the rank Legendary Eagle), Dota 2, Starcraft 2. In university, he didn't play as many video games, but when he did he played Realm of the Mad God, Minecraft, and Geoguessr. Post-university, he has mainly played Dwarf Fortress.

Occassionally, Gurrin-Smith will also play board games. In elementary school, he enjoyed playing Magic: The Gathering. In high school, he retired from Magic: The Gathering and began to play Go. Throughout high school and university he would sporadically play Dungeons and Dragons, usually being the gamemaster. He picked up an addiction to Guandan while in China.

Recently, he has picked up an interest in coffee. He is enjoying learning about the many different flavours of specialty roasters. In order, he likes the following coffee making methods: V60, Moka Pot, Turkish Coffee, AeroPress, and finally French Press. He also likes tea a lot. In order, he likes Jasmine, Pu'er, Oolong, and English Breakfast. Curiously, after having COVID-19, hot, milky tea tastes like fish to him.

Additionally, every so often he gets back into woodworking. This has produced some fun mini projects, as well as led to the famous Boat Incident.

At the start of 2024, Gurrin-Smith began learning Mandarin Chinese at the Toronto Chinese Academy.

The Boat Incident

In the summer of 2021, Gurrin-Smith and Troy Perera, with the assistance of Ryan Kia, made the ambitious plan to build a sailing dinghy. They decided to build it in the style of the Puddle Ducks, and opted to follow the Camp Sailboat plans created by Dave Gray. After a lack of time and tools got in the way, they decided to enlist the help of Gurrin-Smith's uncle, Martin Gurrin, who bought some plywood off of them in exchange for a built hull and some valuable advice. The boat is still a work in progress, and has not yet been abandoned.

Travel

Gurrin-Smith has travelled a bit throughout his life. There are three major trips he has gone on.

Barbados (2013)

After graduating grade eight, he went with his parents for a vacation in Barbados.

Europe (2016)

In the summer after finishing grade eleven, he went with this parents to Europe. In order, he went to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, and Edinburgh. While there, he visited family, climbed Ben Nevis, and loved seeing all the sheep.

Hong Kong and China (2023)

In the summer of 2023, Gurrin-Smith travelled to Hong Kong and China with his partner. He spent three days in Hong Kong where he climbed at Verm City, ate at TBD, and visited the M+ Museum. Then, he spent 11 days in China where he picked up an addiction to Guandan, ate Bird's Nest, and visited the following places:

• The Forbidden City
• The Great Wall of China
• Summer Palace
• Temple of Heaven
• Lugou Bridge
• A Hutong

He spent lots of time with his partner's family, ate food in a lot of fancy and great places, and climbed in a bunch of great climbing gyms.

Athletics

Gurrin-Smith has had a long-standing involvement in sport. He began his foray into organized sport when he joined the TORCH swim club in 2008. There, he trained and competed for several years until he switched teams and joined the Toronto Swim Club. While swimming there, he began training and competing for triathlons. Due to a developing lack of interest in swimming, and difficult access to any youth triathlon teams in Toronto, he quit both in the fall of 2013 and decided to pursue distance running full-time at Neil McNeil. There, he competed for the full four years, but a persistent Achilles tendon injury forced him into early retirement after high school. In the fall of 2021 he re-entered the world of sport by getting into bouldering at Rock On Climbing, inspired after reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.

Achievements []

Personal Bests []

1. ^ Gurrin-Smith, Nathan. (2023). Interview With Nathan.
2. ^ Gurrin-Smith, Nathan. (2023). A Wild Sighting of a Nathan Gurrin-Smith.
3. Awards
1. ^ University of Toronto Scholars Program. (n.d.). University of Toronto. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
2. ^ Undergraduate Awards. (n.d.). University of Toronto. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
3. ^ Academic Record. (n.d.). University of Toronto. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
4. ^ Galois Awards in Mathematics. (n.d.). University College. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
5. ^ C.L. Burton Scholarships for Mathematics and/or Physical Sciences. (n.d.). University College. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
4. TDCAA
1. ^ ^{a b} "Midget Male 5200 Metre CC Dash". (2013, October 25). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
2. ^ "Midget Male 1500 Metre Run". (2014, May 21). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
3. ^ "Midget Male 3000 Metre Run". (2014, May 21). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
4. ^ ^{a b} "Junior Male 6000 Metre CC Dash". (2014, October 26). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
5. ^ "Junior Male 1500 Metre Run". (2015, May 22). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
6. ^ "Junior Male 3000 Metre Run". (2015, May 22). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
7. ^ ^{a b} "Senior Male 7050 Metre CC Dash". (2015, October 30). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
8. ^ "Senior Male 1500 Metre Run". (2016, May 19). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
9. ^ "Senior Male 3000 Metre Run". (2016, May 19). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
10. ^ ^{a b} "Senior Male 7050 Metre CC Dash". (2016, October 28). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
11. ^ "Senior Male 1500 Metre Run". (2017, May 17). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
12. ^ "Senior Male 3000 Metre Run". (2017, May 17). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
5. Metro
1. ^ "Midget Male 1500 Metre Run". (2014, May 29). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
2. ^ "Midget Male 3000 Metre Run". (2014, May 29). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
3. ^ "Junior Male 1500 Metre Run". (2015, May 28). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
4. ^ ^{a b} "Junior Male 3000 Metre Run". (2015, May 28). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
5. ^ "Senior Male 3000 Metre Run". (2017, May 26). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
6. OFSAA
1. ^ ^{a b} "Midget Male 5000 Metre CC Run". (2014, November 12). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
2. ^ "Event 10 Men 1500 Meter Midget". (2014, June 5). Windsor Timing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
3. ^ ^{a b} "Junior Male 6000 Metre CC Run". (2014, November 12). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
4. ^ "Event 44 Men 3000 Meter Run Junior". (2015, June 6). Windsor Timing. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
5. ^ ^{a b} "Senior Male 6850 Metre CC Run". (2015, November 9). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
6. ^ ^{a b} "OFSAA XC". (2016, November 5). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
7. McQuaid Invitational
1. ^ Yen Timing Services. (2013, September 28). Race 12 - Boys Jr. High #2 (Small/Medium schools). McQuaid Invitational. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
2. ^ Yen Timing Services (2014, September 27). McQuaid Invitational Results Race 14. McQuaid Invitational. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
3. ^ Yen Timing Services (2015, October 3). McQuaid Invitational Results Race 16. McQuaid Invitational. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
4. ^ Yen Timing Services (2016, October 1). McQuaid Invitational Results Race 16. McQuaid Invitational. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
8. Father Redmond Track and Field Classic
1. ^ Open Male 800 Metre Run. (2016, May 8). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
2. ^ Open Male 1500 Metre Run. (2016, May 8). Online Track Database. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
9. ^ September 2014. (2014, September 19). Triathlon Ontario. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
10. ^ ^{a b} 2015 Results. (2015). Tannenbaum 10K. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
11. ^ ^{a b} Beaches Jazz Run. (2016, July 26). RM Races Live. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
12. ^ GURRIN-SMITH, Nathan. (n.d.). Swimrankings. Retrieved February 23, 2023.