This year marks 50 years since Elaine Tanner became the first Canadian woman to win a swimming medal in the Summer Olympic Games.
Tanner, now a semi-permanent resident of Qualicum Beach, won three medals B次元官网网址� silver in the 100- and 200-metre backstroke and bronze in the 4x100 freestyle relay B次元官网网址� in Mexico City in 1968 at age 17.
Her additional career highlights include setting five career world records, winning four gold medals and three silvers at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, winning two golds and three silvers at the 1967 Pan American Games, and earning the Lou Marsh Trophy as CanadaB次元官网网址檚 top athlete in 1966. She was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1969 and inducted in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Sports Hall of Fame in 1971.
Today Tanner, who resides with her husband John in the oceanside community, has taken the many life lessons sheB次元官网网址檚 learned since her Olympic win and written them into a childrenB次元官网网址檚 bookB次元官网网址�Monkey Guy and the Cosmic Fairy.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e learned so much through my journey,B次元官网网址� Tanner said. B次元官网网址� Not only can children relate to [the book] but I also wrote it for the grandparents and the parentsB次元官网网址� it has great life lessons in it.B次元官网网址�
Tanner said many of her life lessons stemmed from challenges and struggles she endured after winning silver at the Olympics.
Being a trailblazer in womenB次元官网网址檚 swimming in Canada, Tanner said there was a heavy sense of expectation from her country for her to take home gold.
B次元官网网址淐anada hadnB次元官网网址檛 really won much at all at the Olympics for medals, especially for swimming,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he entire Canadian Olympic team, nobody was really expected to win gold but me.B次元官网网址�
Tanner said all of a sudden her passion for swimming became a task and B次元官网网址渨asnB次元官网网址檛 really fun anymore.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚t was more than me and my family, it was me and my country and I was just 17,B次元官网网址� she said.
When she took silver instead of gold in her competitions, Tanner said the first thing people were asking after her race was B次元官网网址榳hy did you lose?B次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址榳hat happened?B次元官网网址�
Tanner felt a colossal sense of disappointment and absence of identity after returning home from Mexico City.
B次元官网网址淚 had all the symptoms when I got home of post trauma, it changed me. I viewed myself as a winner and then all of a sudden the switch went from day to night and I saw myself as a loser.B次元官网网址� Tanner said. B次元官网网址淚 was damaged and I had nobody to talk to.B次元官网网址�
Tanner said she spent the next 20 to 30 years struggling with self-doubt.
She said meeting her husband, John, in 1988 helped her to get on the path of acceptance and forgiveness and to ultimately learn to love unconditionallyB次元官网网址攎essages sheB次元官网网址檚 embedded into her new book.
B次元官网网址淭he greatest power in the universe is loveB次元官网网址� and thatB次元官网网址檚 what the whole book is about, loving unconditionally.B次元官网网址�
Tanner no longer swims, due to an injured elbow, but enjoys all things outdoors and working to spread awareness of homelessness, mental health issues, animal rights and environmental concerns with her husband.
To learn more about Tanner, visit one of her websites at or .
