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July 21, 2008 The fifth of six children, Martha Hall Findlay grew up in Toronto, attended the Toronto French school and excelled not only in school but in sports. Hall Findlay was an outstanding young skier, a National Ski Team member, where she won silver at the National Championships in 1976. At the age of 18 , she felt that her future didn't include competitive skiing and moved on to a series of temporary jobs including waitressing and construction before heading to university. Hall Findlay earned a degree in International Relations and then a law degree all while raising three children. She sought public office, for the first time in 2004 when she ran as the Liberal candidate in Newmarket running against Conservative Belinda Stronach in Newmarket-Aurora. Her loss didn't discourage her, and Hall Findlay realized that still had the passion for politics. After Paul Martin stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party following the 2006 election, she decided to mount a challenge for the Liberal Leadership where she finished 8 th in a field of eight, but Martha's commitment didn't falter. When MP Jim Peterson announced his retirement from public office, Martha Hall Findlay ran for the nomination and prevailed, and in a by-election in 2007, Martha Hall Findlay won convincingly and is now the MP for Willowdale. Martha Hall Findlay is Catherine Clark's guest on this edition of Beyond Politics .