Northwestern Ontario has a lot to be proud of when it comes to its history at the Summer Olympics
Athletes have made the region proud at summer Olympic games through the years, and that continues in Paris
Northwestern Ontario is known for its presence in the world of winter sports, from all-star NHL and PWHL players, to curlers and nordic skiers competing on the world stage. But when it comes to summer sports, particularly at the Olympics, the region has a rich history steeped in success.
In fact, since 1960 northwestern Ontario has been represented at either the Summer Olympics or the Paralympic Games every year, with the exception of one year.
"When you consider the size of northwestern Ontario, our population base, that's pretty amazing. So lots to be proud of," said Diane Imrie, executive director of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The region's first summer Olympian dates back to 1960, when weightlifter Bill Swaluk took to Rome to compete. In the years that followed, northwestern Ontario athletes continued to make names for themselves on the world stage, especially in swimming.
Montreal 1976 was a big year for Canadians at the Games, since competition was happening on home soil. But it was also a big year for northern athletes.
"Thunder Bay was actually sort of designated as a training ground for swimmers. Don Talbot was brought here from Australia to train a lot of swimmers and we ended up with the likes of Joann Baker, Bill Sawchuk, Tom Alexander, Debbie Clarke and Andy Ritchie, all from the Thunderbolts, all from Thunder Bay, competing in Montreal," Imrie said.
Talbot is regarded as one of the greatest coaching minds in history, according to Swim Ontario.
He made his home in Thunder Bay in the 1970s with the Thunderbolts. In 1976, the Thunderbolts sent eight swimmers to the Montreal Olympics.
Among those swimmers, Debbie Clarke helped in the heats for two of Canada's medals.
Moving through the decades, the 1980s and '90s and early 2000s also produced many medals for Paralympic and Olympic athletes who had roots planted in northwestern Ontario.
Swimmers, cyclists bring home medals to the northwest
Some of those athletes include Paralympians Tom Hainey of Atikokan, Ont., and Thunder Bay's Andrea Cole and Robbie Weldon.
Track cyclist Curt Harnett was first introduced to his sport in Thunder Bay and would go on to bring home three Olympic medals. The first was a silver medal in the 1,000-metre time trial event at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
"He came back home to wonderful celebrations for that victory. And he went on to three more Olympics and also brought home some medals. So that was pretty exciting," said Imrie, speaking of Harnett's accomplishments.
Former Olympians from Thunder Bay reflect
The support and celebration for athletes is something another former Olympian from Thunder Bay remembers well, especially leading up to his Olympic debut in 1976 when he was just 21.
Freestyle wrestler Steve Daniar grew up in the east end of Thunder Bay and recounted the Olympic trials held in Thunder Bay's Fort William Gardens in 1976.
"To be able to compete in front of my family … you know who would have thought a chubby little guy with glasses would go to the Olympics," Daniar said.
"I had friends there and I still remember to this day in my final match that got me into the Olympic roster, the people were cheering 'East End!' To feel that, it made me feel so good about being able to make the Olympics," he added.
Much like many athletes today, Daniar's Olympic experiences were affected by massive geopolitical events that, at times, made focusing on the competition difficult.
Daniar's first Olympics followed the 1972 Munich Olympic Games where eight members of a terrorist organization shot their way into the Israeli quarters at the Olympic village, eventually killing 11 athletes.
He said the tragic event was still deeply felt four years later, especially among combat sport athletes.
Daniar went on to qualify for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but Canada boycotted the games to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
"I think I would've been a lot more ready because I had a lot more international experience. So it builds from that Olympics, it builds to the next one if you're young enough," he said.
Between qualifying for each Olympics, Daniar was awarded with Thunder Bay's Athlete of The Year designation, alongside Sandra Greaves, another Olympian from Thunder Bay.
Greaves competed at the Olympics in both 1988 and 1992. She was the first-ever Canadian female judoka to qualify for an Olympics when she was selected for Seoul 1988 Olympics, which included judo as a demonstration sport.
"It's a different atmosphere … when you go alone. And then I didn't have my teammates with me there. I was alone in the venue with strangers in different sports. And it just the whole dynamic was off," said Greaves.
Looking forward and building on the past
Now that Paris 2024 is in full swing, Greaves said looking back at her Olympic experiences underscores just how far the sport of judo has come, especially for women.
"It's incredible. The training centre and the program that they have in Montreal is great. They have the physio right there and they have training partners, paid training partners that's their job is to be thrown by the champions. The 57-kilogram women's division … we have number one and number two in the world," said Greaves.
Both Greaves and Daniar continue to participate in their respective sports, but as coaches.
"I think the whole Olympic spirit is built around, you know, it's a promotion of youth through sports. And I think that becomes important because once you quit a sport at that level .. something in your life is gone," said Daniar.
"When it comes to an end, then what's the next step? And I think that part is you give back to the youth … I mean, that's a part of the Olympics."
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