Penny Oleksiak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Penny Oleksiak

Oleksiak in 2023
Personal information
Born	(2000-06-13) June 13, 2000 (age 25) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	1.86 m
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, butterfly
Club	Energy Standard Toronto Swim Club, High Performance Centre – Ontario
Coach	Bill O'Toole, Ben Titley, Ryan Mallette, Jeff Julian
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Canada Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 2 4 World Championships (LC) 0 2 7 World Championships (SC) 2 2 3 World Junior Championships 6 4 1 Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m freestyle Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m butterfly Silver 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2020 Tokyo 200 m freestyle Bronze 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m medley World Championships (LC) Silver 2022 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2022 Budapest 4×100 m mixed freestyle Bronze 2017 Budapest 4×100 m mixed freestyle Bronze 2017 Budapest 4×100 m mixed medley Bronze 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2019 Gwangju 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m medley Bronze 2022 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2022 Budapest 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) Gold 2016 Windsor 4x50 m freestyle Gold 2016 Windsor 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2016 Windsor 4×100 m medley Silver 2024 Budapest 4×50 m mixed freestyle Bronze 2016 Windsor 100 m freestyle Bronze 2024 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2024 Budapest 4×100 m mixed medley Commonwealth Games Silver 2018 Gold Coast 4x100 m freestyle Silver 2018 Gold Coast 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2018 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley World Junior Championships Gold 2015 Singapore 4×100 m mixed freestyle Gold 2017 Indianapolis 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2017 Indianapolis 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2017 Indianapolis 4×100 m medley Gold 2017 Indianapolis 4×100 m mixed freestyle Gold 2017 Indianapolis 4×100 m mixed medley Silver 2015 Singapore 100 m freestyle Silver 2015 Singapore 50 m butterfly Silver 2015 Singapore 100 m butterfly Silver 2015 Singapore 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2015 Singapore 4×100 m freestyle

Penelope Oleksiak (born June 13, 2000) is a Canadian competitive swimmer. People sometimes call her "Magic Penny". She is one of Canada's most successful Olympic athletes.

Penny became famous at the 2016 Summer Olympics. There, she was the first Canadian to win four medals in one Summer Games. She also became Canada's youngest Olympic champion by winning gold in the 100 m freestyle. She was the first athlete born in the 2000s to win an individual Olympic gold medal.

Her amazing success led to her winning several awards in 2016. These included the Lou Marsh Trophy for Canada's top athlete. She also received the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada's top female athlete.

Five years later, Penny won three more medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics. This broke the national record for Olympic medals. In 2024, sprinter Andre De Grasse joined her with seven Olympic medals each.

Many people see Penny Oleksiak as a leader for Canadian women's swimming. She has won the most medals for Canada at the FINA World Aquatics Championships. She also has many medals from the World Swimming Championships, World Junior Championships, and Commonwealth Games.

She currently holds the junior world and Canadian record in the 100 m freestyle. She used to hold the world junior and Canadian records in the 100 m butterfly. She also shared the Olympic record in the 100 m freestyle with Simone Manuel.

Penny's Swimming Journey

Penny Oleksiak learned to swim in a neighbor's pool. She started swimming competitively at age 9. Her father encouraged her to try the sport. She also tried gymnastics and competitive dance.

At first, many swim clubs in Toronto did not accept her. This was because she had trouble swimming the full length of the pool. Eventually, coach Gary Nolden welcomed her to the Toronto Olympian Swim Team. He helped her build the skills that started her career. Penny said, "He had a lot of faith in me."

Within a year, Penny's swimming caught the eye of coach Ben Titley. He later became a leader for Canada's Olympic team. Titley started working with her, first sometimes, then more often. When she was 14, at the 2014 Canadian Age Group Championships, Penny won 10 individual medals. She set a personal best in every race.

Starting Strong: 2015–2016 Seasons

Penny showed her great talent early on. She won six medals at the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships. This was only six weeks after she broke her elbow in a bike accident!

Her medals included a gold in the mixed 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. She also won silver in her main event, the 100 m freestyle. She earned two more silvers in the 50 and 100 m butterfly races.

Her next goal was to join the Canadian team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She set a Junior world record in the 100 m freestyle during the Olympic trials. Penny also broke Chantal Van Landeghem's Canadian record. Before the Olympics, Penny was ranked 49th in the 100 m freestyle and 37th in the 100 m butterfly.

Olympic Debut: Rio 2016

Penny competed in five races at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Her first race was on day one. In the heats of the 100 m butterfly, she broke the national and world junior records.

She also swam the last part of the women's 4×100 m freestyle relay. Her team included Taylor Ruck, Chantal van Landeghem, and Sandrine Mainville. They won Canada's first Olympic medal in this relay in 40 years! Penny said, "No one expected this of Canada."

The next night, she won a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly final. She broke her world junior record and Canadian record again. Penny became the first Canadian to win a medal on the first two days of the Olympics.

Penny Oleksiak at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

On day five, Penny broke the world junior record in the 100 m freestyle. She then helped the 4×200 m freestyle relay team win another bronze medal. Her teammates were Katerine Savard, Taylor Ruck, and Brittany MacLean.

On day six, Penny won a gold medal in the 100 m freestyle. She tied with Simone Manuel and set an Olympic record of 52.70 seconds. Penny became the youngest Canadian Olympic champion. She was also the first Canadian to win four Summer Olympic medals in one Games. She is the first athlete born in the 2000s to win an individual Olympic gold.

Penny's fifth Olympic race was the 4 × 100 m medley relay. Her team finished fifth, which was the only race she did not medal in at those Games. Penny was chosen to be Canada's flag bearer for the closing ceremony.

World Championships 2016

In December 2016, Penny competed in the short course world championships in Windsor, Canada. She won a bronze medal in the women's 100-metre freestyle. She also helped the Canadian team win gold in the 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay.

On the last day, Penny helped Canada win another gold in the 4 × 50-metre freestyle relay. They also won a silver medal in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay.

Because of her great performances, Penny won the Lou Marsh Award as Canada's top athlete of the year. She was also named CBC's athlete of the year.

2017 Season: Overcoming Challenges

Penny's first competition in 2017 was the Arena Pro Swim Series. She had some injuries, including a shoulder injury. She also got a concussion after being hit in the head with a medicine ball.

Despite this, she did well at the Team Canada trials. She won the 100m freestyle and butterfly races. This earned her spots in both events for the 2017 World Aquatics Championships.

At the World Championships, Penny helped her team win two bronze medals in mixed relays. She swam the butterfly part of the mixed 4 × 100 m medley relay. She also anchored the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

Penny also competed at the World Junior Swimming Championships. She did not swim in any individual races. However, she helped Canada win all five gold medals in the relay events. After these championships, Penny changed coaches to Bill O'Toole.

2018–2019 Seasons: Taking a Break and Returning Strong

In September 2017, Penny was chosen for Canada's 2018 Commonwealth Games team. She won three silver medals in the relay races.

Penny decided not to compete in the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. She needed a break to deal with the pressure of fame after the Rio Olympics. She said, "It wasn't really enjoyable for me." She later returned to training with Ben Titley.

In 2019, Penny joined the new International Swimming League. She swam for the Energy Standard Swim Club, which won the team title.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020, Penny had to stop training for four months. She used this time to rethink her approach to swimming. She said, "Now, I love training." The 2020 Summer Olympics were delayed by a year. Penny also became the first female global ambassador for Phelps Brand, a swim gear company. She called Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps a helpful mentor.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Making History Again

Penny competed at the Canadian Olympic swim trials. She won the 100 m event, her fastest time since Rio. She came second in the 200 m trial, behind her 14-year-old training partner Summer McIntosh. Penny was named to Canada's 2020 Olympic team on June 24, 2021.

Penny started the Olympics by swimming the last part of the 4×100 m freestyle relay. Her team won Canada's first medal of the Games, a silver.

Next, Penny competed in the 200 m freestyle. She had not done this event in Rio. She set a new personal best time and won the bronze medal. This was her sixth Olympic medal! It made her the most decorated Summer Olympian in Canadian history. She tied with Clara Hughes and Cindy Klassen for the most Olympic medals won by a Canadian.

Penny was also part of the Canadian team in the 4×200 m freestyle relay. They broke the Canadian record but finished fourth. She then competed in the 100 m freestyle. She set a new personal best and national record but finished fourth.

Her last event was the 4 × 100 m medley relay. Penny swam the freestyle part, and Maggie Mac Neil swam the butterfly. They won the bronze medal and set a new national record. Penny was proud to make history with her teammates.

2022 Season: More Medals and Injuries

Ben Titley, Penny's longtime coach, left his job before the 2022 season. Penny had worked with him for almost ten years. She trusted her new coach, Ryan Mallette.

Penny's training for 2022 was difficult because she got COVID-19 in early March. Still, she finished second in the 200 m race at the Canadian swimming trials. She was also second in the 100 m trial.

At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Penny helped Canada win a silver medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay. This was a first for Canadian women at the World Championships.

She won her second medal of the championships in the 4×200 m freestyle relay. The Canadian team finished third. Penny then helped her team win a silver medal in the 4×100 m mixed freestyle relay. This was Penny's eighth World medal, tying Ryan Cochrane for the most by a Canadian swimmer. She then won a record ninth medal in the 4×100 m medley relay.

Penny decided not to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Later that summer, she hurt her knee while on vacation. She had surgery to fix it. She said the recovery would be the longest and most careful of her career.

2023 Season: Focus on Recovery

Penny did not attend the national swim trials in 2023. She was still recovering from her knee injury. She was named to the Canadian team for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. However, she later decided not to go. This was because of her knee and a new shoulder problem.

In September, Penny moved to train with coach Jeff Julian in California. She competed at the 2023 U.S. Open Swimming Championships in November. But she got another knee injury there, which needed more surgery.

2024 Season: Back in the Pool

After her knee surgery, Penny returned to swimming at the Canadian Swimming Open. She said her love for swimming had returned. She even thought about competing until the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

At the national Olympic swimming trials, Penny finished ninth in the 200 m freestyle. This meant she missed qualifying for that event. However, she won the 100 m freestyle. She was just a little bit short of the Olympic qualifying time for the individual race. Still, she was named to the relay team. She said she was "just excited to be part of the team."

At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Penny swam in the 4×100 m freestyle relay. The Canadian team finished fourth. She also swam in the heats of the 4×100 m medley relay. This helped Canada qualify for the final. Summer McIntosh swam in the final, where the team came fourth.

Penny competed at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships. This was her first time at this event since 2016. She helped the 4 x 100 metre freestyle team win a bronze medal.

About Penny's Life

Penny's parents came from other countries. Her father is Polish American, and her mother is Scottish. Penny is the youngest of five children. One of her older brothers is NHL hockey player Jamie Oleksiak.

Her family has a history of sports. Her father played basketball, football, and did field athletics. Her mother held many Scottish swimming records. Her older sister Hayley was a rower, and her older brother Jake played college hockey.

Penny went to Monarch Park Collegiate Institute in Toronto. As a teenager, she had a dog named Jagr, after hockey player Jaromír Jágr. She also had a cat named Rio.

Penny's Best Times

Long Course (50-metre pool)

Short Course (25-metre pool)

See also

In Spanish: Penny Oleksiak para niños

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)