Elaine Tanner, 1960s swimming superstar, cherishes rare medal that Canada wanted back
The medal was introduced in 1967 and was awarded to 294 people before concerns about its modest appearance prompted a restructuring by the government in 1972, including the request to voluntarily return the award.“My heart told me that this is the medal that was given to me by the government, actually by governor general Roland Michener, and he pinned it on my dress, and I went, ‘This means the world to me,’ and I don’t want to hand it in,” said Tanner.
“I must have been four-foot-nine and probably just under 90 pounds soaking wet,” said Tanner. “I was really small. I got up on the podium to receive my medal and the other girls were towering over me and a coach from Ocean Falls, the swim coach, yelled, ‘Way to go Mighty Mouse.’More national titles, world records, and gold medals at Commonwealth and Pan American games followed.
Tanner wrote an open letter in 2017 to Olympic champion swimmer Penny Oleksiak, who won medals for Canada at 16 years old, advising to her to trust herself and listen to her inner voice. Of the original 294 medals, 104 were returned in the early years, McCreery said. About 30 people kept their medals but most have died, he added.
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