Canadian Olympic Medalist Elaine Tanner Shares Personal Message Ahead of Paris Games
Three-time Canadian Olympic medalist Elaine Tanner, nicknamed Mighty Mouse, reached out to Swimming World this week with a letter drafted to the members of this year’s Canadian squad to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris. Here is her letter, along with several photos from her personal collection.
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I can scarcely believe it was 56 years ago when I was a young 17-year-old training high up in the Canadian Rockies in preparation for my high altitude Olympic debut at the Mexico City Games in October of 1968.
I was a heavy favorite to win gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke going in, having just set another world record in the 200m at the Santa Clara Invitational in August.
At that time, Canada had few prospects for a medal of any sort so it seemed that the burden of expectation fell squarely upon the shoulders of my small frame. I did my best to lighten the load I felt weighing me down but the pressure was constant and being a “people pleaser” by nature, I was terrified if I let anyone down, heaven forbid my country.
At the time, there was no Olympic-sized pool in Banff, Alberta to train in; as a matter of fact there was barely a serious swimming pool in sight…Our red blood cell count was monitored constantly for the rarified air in Mexico City. However, the necessity of supplying us with a decent pool to swim in seemed to have escaped the grasp of the well intentioned minds of our national association. With no option in sight, our team settled for a small oval recreational pool at the Cave and Basin Hot Springs where we swam in circles for the 3 weeks we “trained” there.
Ultimately by the closing of those Olympic Games in Mexico City, our entire Canadian team came back with only five medals. I came back with three of them.
Ralph Hutton, another teammate, won silver in the men’s 400m free and then an unexpected gold by our equestrian team, which was ironically one of the last events of the Games. I learned years later that I was the first Canadian woman ever to win an Olympic swimming medal, setting two Olympic records in the process, and our women’s relay team was the first to ever medal.
Yet, despite these pioneering firsts ever for Canada, when I returned home with 60% of our country’s medal haul, having none of them gold, I felt like I had failed my country. At the young age of 17, when one reads headlines such as “Tanner Loses Gold,” it can do immense emotional damage if left to fester. I struggled emotionally for many years in the aftermath but am so grateful for my healing journey which I have since personally written about on my two websites questbeyondgold.ca and elainetanner.ca
Much has changed since my time 56 years ago, especially in Canadian Swimming. I suppose I was fortunate my family moved to California when I was only 3 from Vancouver to be surrounded by Olympic champions swimmers and coaches to aspire to. I lived near the Santa Clara Swim Club and would watch through a wire fence those golden tanned bodies gliding gracefully through the water like sea nymphs. I knew then I wanted to be just like them.
Those images never left me and despite the fact my family had moved back to Vancouver permanently, there was never a doubt in my mind that I could be the best in the world too. Why not me? And so my own journey began with just a dream in my soul and the vision I held in my heart of my own Olympic moment.
Back in the 1960s, Canada had little history of Olympic swimmers. Of course there were a few sprinkled here and there but certainly no powerhouse of legends to follow in their footsteps. Blazing new trails takes not only courage but steadfast determination and grit to clear the path for others. It is also a team effort with dedicated support through this metamorphosis process. I will be forever indebted to the ingenious technical creativity of my amazing coach Howard Firby (sadly, he was not picked to go to Mexico 1968), and the undying support of my parents and family.
It is said that success builds success. Once something which was seemingly impossible has been reached by one person makes it so much easier to be consequently emulated by others . The famous Miracle Mile is a perfect example. Once John Landy and Roger Bannister ran under the four-minute mark at the 1956 British Empire Games in Vancouver, then it soon became the norm for any serious runner to do the same.
Swimming in Canada has taken its own unique path to success. It has not been a smooth incremental road to get there either. We have had good years and inevitably we have had far too many lean years in between. It is not always the fault of lack of trying but sometimes life just has a way of unfolding despite our efforts.
One of the great turning points in my estimation was the hiring of Pierre Lafontaine in 2005 as the CEO of Swim Canada. He believed Canada could be the best in the world and instilled this vital psychology into the minds of our young swimmers. Pierre was so positive and his enthusiasm and genuine confidence in our Canadian swimmers was contagious. Canada actually started to believe in itself. With a succession of elite swimmers under his leadership it was so much easier to keep the momentum of success going. The hardest part of the equation of success is inertia and Pierre seemed to have solved it for us.
Now, as we sit on the eve of our greatest Olympics yet to unfold for Canadian swimming, I am deeply moved by just how far we have come. Since my teammates and I swam frustratingly in circles in an inadequate pool weeks before the Olympics, just dreaming this day would arrive, I can now smile with pride in knowing that sweet success follows from our wake.
For so many years, the Americans and Aussies have had such a deep bench to call on and still do to this day. Having so many shoulders to bear the burden of pressure and expectations lifts the whole team and lightens the load of the few to the many. Canada now has tasted success and deeply believes it has earned a place on the world stage. We may not have the size of an American or Aussie bench but Canada has never had such a powerful nor more seasoned roster of swimmers as we do for Paris 2024. Our team is versatile with contenders in many events including both men’s, women’s and mixed relays.
Our team boasts 13 veterans of previous Olympics, six of them multi-medalists. We have 15 who have medaled in Worlds and 13 who medaled at the Pan Am Games in 2023. Not bad eh?
Of course, who can forget we have our own superstar to boast of…Summer McIntosh! Who knows what medals or records will unfold for her…and we can still keep going. Maggie Mac Neil, Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse, Taylor Ruck, Josh Liendo, Finlay Knox and others are among a roster of amazing swimmers who have made Canada so proud… Our coaches, particularly John Atkinson, our high performance coach, and all the support staff, are so highly trained and dedicated to cater to enhancing each and every member of our Team.
I know the Olympics always have so many surprise performances ahead… there will be races that will bring us to tears both in joy and sadness. There will be moments that inspire us and some that may gut us but that is why we watch. I am so aware from my own journey of the psychological buildup before the Games begin but I am even more cautionary of the consequences one can encounter from the emotional aftermath post-Olympics.
After Penny Oleksiak broke my single Games record by winning an amazing four medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, I had a strong intuition to write an open letter to Penny in the hopes of sharing some learned wisdom of overnight success and the foreshadowing of the challenges yet to come. Macleans Magazine published it online in 2017. I recommend you all read this as I have had so many other people thank me for the wisdom I have shared with others.
I also wrote a note to the entire Canadian Swim Team as they leave for Paris – “Mighty Thoughts to a Mighty Team.”
I am so proud of them all and ended it with the quote: “Trust in yourselves, throw fear to the wind and fly with the wings of courage.”
Elaine Tanner OC
Mighty Mouse
Triple Olympic 1968 Medalist – Mexico City
Wow! Way to go Canada’s “Mighty Mouse” the one and only Elaine Tanner the original pioneer who paved the way for Canadian Swimming for other greats to follow. Even with tremendous odds and hurdles thrown in your way and during the 1968 Olympics you still made history being the first ever Canadian women to medal in swimming (3) which was another first. What a great inspiring letter and tribute to Canada and swimming.. I am so proud of you with what you have gone through all these years. You have now found the real “Gold medal” in Life. You are an inspiration to not just athletes but anyone that has struggled with Life’s up’s and downs. Love always your partner and friend John
Blast from the past Elaine Tanner 56 years ago.. One of Canada’s most versatile swimmers in Canadian history 5 World Records Butterfly, IM, Back stroke 100-200 Only 5’3″ hence aka “Mighty Mouse” put Canada on the map Internationally 1966-1968 5 World records many Canadian firsts ever a true pioneer trailblazer .Thanks for the memories Elaine