Canadian para-swimmer strong influence to his peers

RIO DE JANEIRO – Canadian Paralympic swim team co-captain Nathan Clement wasn't always a swimmer. The first-time Paralympian grew up in West Vancouver playing soccer. One season he was awarded the MVP award even though he was reluctant to accept it, recounts his mother, Janet.

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"Nathan said he didn't deserve it," said his mother during the Rio 2016 opening ceremony screening at Canada Paralympic House. "The coach said, 'nobody tries harder, yells louder, and is more of a team player.'"

Soccer satisfied Clement's love of a team environment and was more than recreational. He was good enough to be selected to the CP (cerebral palsy) Canadian national soccer team. However, as he entered Grade 10, he "fell into swimming and just loved it," recalls Janet. "Even though he was carded as a soccer player, he wanted to switch to swimming and take the chance."

Clement, who turns 22 at the end of September, is partially paralysed due to a stroke he had when he was 2 ½. On Friday at the Aquatic Stadium, in front of his proud mother and father, Dave, he set a personal best in the S6 50-metre butterfly heats, and then dropped almost another second in the final for a new Canadian record (33.13) in a seventh-place finish.

"When he was a kid we used to drive him to the pool 12 blocks away," said his father, who competed in Ironman and played provincial hockey. "It got to the point we didn't have to do it anymore. He would set his alarm, walk and be at the door when they opened at 6 a.m., waiting for them. That wasn't his family. That was him."

Clement, who claimed bronze in Friday's event at last summer's Parapan Am Games in Toronto, was rewarded with nomination as a Canada Paralympic swim team captain.

"It's about making sure everyone's in good spirits and making sure we're in the right environment to help us succeed," said Clement, who has also captained his local club, the West Vancouver Otters. "There's still a long way to go but this is a very good team overall and I think we're going to do amazing."

Clement is making waves as a strong influence on his swimming peers but he still has one eye on those who helped make him.

"I'm not supposed to do this but in warmup I was kind of looking around to see if I could get the parent vibe - I heard them behind the blocks," he said.

"My dad and my mom are incredible people. To make the Paralympic team is something special and to have them be able to come down and experience it with me is something words can't describe."