Canadians young and old. They inspired us, made us laugh and even made us cry. Imagine how we felt when we read this incredible message:
Dear Penny and Vicky: You are swimming my dream. I used to be able to swim two lengths of the pool in a single breath. I am now disabled and can no longer swim at all. I am sending you my strength—May the sun shine on you.
And the sun did shine on us in Barcelona.
Finally, our big day came. We felt considerable stress knowing millions of viewers would be watching, but we were ready. As we stepped onto the pool deck and heard, “Competitor #9 . . . Canada!” we almost burst with pride. As the Canadians cheered and waved their flags, we looked at the water to focus on the job at hand. The temptation in the moment was to reflect on the 30,000 hours of training it had taken to get here, but there would be time for that later. . . .
Swimming for Canada that day was magical. Despite the stress, we enjoyed every moment. As the music ended and the applause began, we looked up at Julie, and her expression told us what we already felt—we had given the performance of our lives!
Finally, wearing our Canada tracksuits, we marched around the pool for the medal ceremony. As we stepped on the podium to receive our silver medals, in our minds our coaches were there with us to share this special moment. As we watched the flag go up, the awareness that so many Canadians were proud of us made it that much better.
Still floating on a cloud, it was soon time for the closing ceremonies. We’ll remember forever the electric atmosphere in the stadium as everyone swayed back and forth and joined in singing “Amigos Para Siempre,” or “Friends for Life”. And then it began to sink in—after twenty-one years, our Olympic dream had finally come true!
Penny and Vicky Vilagos
Montreal, Québec
3
OVERCOMING
OBSTACLES
T he greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.
Epicurus
The True Story of Lake Ontario
N ever give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.
Winston S. Churchill
There were no stars at eleven o’clock that September night, and no moon. It was overcast and windy, and very, very black. Taking a deep breath, I dove in and so began the night that would change my life forever. When I surfaced and looked around, I couldn’t see where the lake ended and the sky began. I couldn’t see anything, so I just started swimming.
When I had said good-bye to my coach, Gus, earlier, I was very worried about finding him in the escort boat. I was nervous about getting lost in the dark and not nearly as brave as I’ve been portrayed. Gus just looked me in the eye and said, “When you dive in the water, keep your eyes open, and swim north, and I will find you. ”
I believed him. Gus Ryder had been my coach and mentor ever since I joined Toronto’s Lakeshore Swimming Club. Although I’d been swimming since I was nine—and always put my heart into it—I was never very fast and never very good. But I was so determined.
In 1948, when Barbara Ann Scott won the World and Olympic figure-skating championships, she captivated me. She became my role model, and I wanted to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal swimming for Canada. When Toronto gave her a ticker-tape parade, I went by myself and stood on the corner of Bay and Queen. As she drove past sitting on the back of the convertible, I thought she was so wonderful—the perfect Canadian girl—and everything I wanted to be. After seeing her, I became even more determined.
When I was eleven, Gus had watched me finish a one-mile race in freezing cold Lake Ontario. He introduced himself, saying, “Marilyn, you have so much determination and so much heart, if you work at it you’ll be a fine swimmer.” I started swimming for Gus, and was soon totally involved with the club. We trained for hours in open water, and every
Dear Penny and Vicky: You are swimming my dream. I used to be able to swim two lengths of the pool in a single breath. I am now disabled and can no longer swim at all. I am sending you my strength—May the sun shine on you.
And the sun did shine on us in Barcelona.
Finally, our big day came. We felt considerable stress knowing millions of viewers would be watching, but we were ready. As we stepped onto the pool deck and heard, “Competitor #9 . . . Canada!” we almost burst with pride. As the Canadians cheered and waved their flags, we looked at the water to focus on the job at hand. The temptation in the moment was to reflect on the 30,000 hours of training it had taken to get here, but there would be time for that later. . . .
Swimming for Canada that day was magical. Despite the stress, we enjoyed every moment. As the music ended and the applause began, we looked up at Julie, and her expression told us what we already felt—we had given the performance of our lives!
Finally, wearing our Canada tracksuits, we marched around the pool for the medal ceremony. As we stepped on the podium to receive our silver medals, in our minds our coaches were there with us to share this special moment. As we watched the flag go up, the awareness that so many Canadians were proud of us made it that much better.
Still floating on a cloud, it was soon time for the closing ceremonies. We’ll remember forever the electric atmosphere in the stadium as everyone swayed back and forth and joined in singing “Amigos Para Siempre,” or “Friends for Life”. And then it began to sink in—after twenty-one years, our Olympic dream had finally come true!
Penny and Vicky Vilagos
Montreal, Québec
3
OVERCOMING
OBSTACLES
T he greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.
Epicurus
The True Story of Lake Ontario
N ever give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.
Winston S. Churchill
There were no stars at eleven o’clock that September night, and no moon. It was overcast and windy, and very, very black. Taking a deep breath, I dove in and so began the night that would change my life forever. When I surfaced and looked around, I couldn’t see where the lake ended and the sky began. I couldn’t see anything, so I just started swimming.
When I had said good-bye to my coach, Gus, earlier, I was very worried about finding him in the escort boat. I was nervous about getting lost in the dark and not nearly as brave as I’ve been portrayed. Gus just looked me in the eye and said, “When you dive in the water, keep your eyes open, and swim north, and I will find you. ”
I believed him. Gus Ryder had been my coach and mentor ever since I joined Toronto’s Lakeshore Swimming Club. Although I’d been swimming since I was nine—and always put my heart into it—I was never very fast and never very good. But I was so determined.
In 1948, when Barbara Ann Scott won the World and Olympic figure-skating championships, she captivated me. She became my role model, and I wanted to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal swimming for Canada. When Toronto gave her a ticker-tape parade, I went by myself and stood on the corner of Bay and Queen. As she drove past sitting on the back of the convertible, I thought she was so wonderful—the perfect Canadian girl—and everything I wanted to be. After seeing her, I became even more determined.
When I was eleven, Gus had watched me finish a one-mile race in freezing cold Lake Ontario. He introduced himself, saying, “Marilyn, you have so much determination and so much heart, if you work at it you’ll be a fine swimmer.” I started swimming for Gus, and was soon totally involved with the club. We trained for hours in open water, and every
Similar Books
