Nancy Ellen Garapick, the trailblazing Canadian Olympic swimmer from Halifax, Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully at the age of 64 on April 6, 2026, at her home in Langley, British Columbia, leaving behind a profound loss to the world of sports and to everyone who admired her extraordinary life defined by excellence, discipline, and unwavering determination.
Born on September 24, 1961, in Halifax, she began swimming at just seven years old with the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club under coach Nigel Kemp, quickly rising through the ranks as a versatile competitor in backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, and individual medley events while setting a world record in the 200-metre backstroke at age 13 during the 1975 Eastern Canadian Championships in Brantford, Ontario.
Nancy Garapick rose to international prominence during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, where she proudly represented Canada on home soil at just 14 years old and captured the hearts of a nation by winning two bronze medals in the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke events, becoming Canada’s only double medalist of those Games and setting an Olympic record in the 100-metre heats.
Her remarkable career included being named Canada’s female athlete of the year at age 14, collecting 17 national titles, earning selection for the boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics, and securing additional international honors such as bronze in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay at the 1978 World Championships before retiring from competition in 1983.
Inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame, and later recognized as one of Nova Scotia’s 15 greatest athletes in 2018, she transitioned after swimming to work as a teacher in the Yukon, carrying forward the same dedication that had defined her time in the pool.
We offer our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and everyone who loved her in Canada and the world of swimming. We find solace in the incredible legacy she leaves behind as well as in the recollections of her bravery, kindness, and accomplishments that will continue to motivate future generations of athletes long after her final lap.
