Young swimmers had the chance to meet Summer McIntosh, Canada's newly named Top Athlete of the Year, on Thursday evening, and the evening did not disappoint.
The Etobicoke Swim Club, where McIntosh honed his skills, held a meet and greet with the swimmer to celebrate his success and the impact he has had on the sport in Toronto. McIntosh first started swimming at the Etobicoke Olympia, an indoor pool in Centennial Park, when she was 10 years old and trained there during the holidays, according to the club.
McIntosh, 18, signed autographs and posed for photos at the event. The four Olympic medals he won at the Paris Olympics – three gold and one silver – could be touched by people.
“It means the world when kids come up to me and say I've inspired them and I just see it in their eyes. It's so sweet. And that's really what keeps me going. It's one of the best feelings in the world. The world and why I enjoy what I do,' she said.
“And it's also great to be back at the Olympia because that's where I started my swimming career… It made me the swimmer I am today.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was there and McIntosh signed her swimming cap.
McIntosh returned to Toronto this week after competing at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where she won gold in the 400 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley to finish with five medals and three world records.
In addition to winning silver in the women's 200m backstroke, she helped Canada's women's 4×100 freestyle relay team win bronze.
World Aquatics named her the Female Athlete of the Year after the medal presentation in Budapest. She also recently won the 2024 North Star Award for Canada's Top Athlete, Professional or Amateur, following her impressive performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
McIntosh says, 'A fast swimmer is a happy swimmer
“I can dream as big as I want, but you're always trying to improve — getting better is always the key — but I mean, last year, I definitely achieved a lot of them, I'd say,” McIntosh said. .
McIntosh's young fans lined up for a chance to talk to him. She said her message to her young fans has always been: “Keep working hard and enjoy the process.”
He added: “I think a fast swimmer is a happy swimmer. That's what I always try to tell young kids.”
Lauren Strevel, a teenage swimmer who took part in the event, said it was “really inspiring” to meet McIntosh and see what she had achieved. Knowing that McIntosh is doing the training that Strevel and her friends are doing now is an inspiration, she said.
“It's really cool because she's grown up here. She's grown up training with us,” Strewell said.
McIntosh's connections at the Etobicoke Swim Club go beyond his time in the lane. Her mother, Olympian Jill Horstedt, also trained there.
“Eswim has always been a world-class club,” Horstedt said.
“I mean, it's probably one of the best clubs in the world, to be honest, and you know, it's raised a lot of Olympians, a lot of Olympic medalists, so I mean it's essential. It's essential to the community and it's a great stepping stone. Yes.”
Mark Spackman, head coach and director of the Etobicoke Swim Club, also known as AceSwim, said meeting McIntosh is a great opportunity for young swimmers. An Eswim alumnus, McIntosh has an “undefeated” mentality, he said.
“She sets a great example, she's super professional in how she goes about things, and it's really exciting for the little kids to watch her swim.”
