‘I love swimming, I’m good at swimming and it’s something I’m passionate about. But at the same time, there’s so many things I’m also very, very passionate about.
Penny Oleksiak loves meeting people who don’t know she’s Canada’s most decorated Olympian, and that happens more often now that she lives and trains in Southern California.
She loves that, too.
Leaving Toronto last fall to join the Mission Viejo pro swim group gave her space to decide what she really wants to do, in and out of the pool.
“I’m finally doing everything because I want to,” Oleksiak said. “I don’t have my coach every day telling me I have to be at the pool. If I want to show up, I’m going to show up. And if I don’t, I don’t have to. It’s nice to have that freedom.”
That hasn’t always been the case since she vaulted, in a single week, from a 16-year-old with potential to an Olympic star with four medals at the 2016 Rio Games, then three more podium finishes in Tokyo in 2021.
Esta historia es de la edición May 13, 2024 de Toronto Star.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 13, 2024 de Toronto Star.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
St. Marys gets more star power
After changing sport in this country, Martin and Stephenson headline induction ceremony
More FaceTime, fewer naps
How NHL stars such as Panthers goalie Bobrovsky balance hockey and fatherhood
Conserving India's sacred forests
Christians team up with the Indigenous faithful and environmentalists to keep local traditions alive
How head of U of T finds himself navigating conflict
Those who know him personally describe a leader inclined toward careful, deliberate action
Inside the encampment
Controversy swirls around growing community on the University of Toronto's campus
Hundreds of plastic water bottles are floating on Toronto's harbour. Each one has a message inside
The sculpture is the fourth instalment of Waterfront Toronto's Temporary Floating Art program in Harbour Square Basin
Children abducted by Russia must be returned, PM says
Trudeau set to co-chair session at peace talks on human dimension of war
Is Alberta ready for Nenshi's pop of orange?
Former Calgary mayor's bid for provincial NDP leadership has seen party memberships boom
WATCH YOUR WALLETS
As Toronto sees surge in pickpocketing, experts share tips to keep valuables safe
Are high school finals still needed?
For the first two years of high school, Nuha Zawahir missed a dreaded, often criticized but traditional rite of passage: the final exam.
