Stu Cowan: Patrick Hussey's road to the Paris Olympics started at the Pointe-Claire Swim Club

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The Beaconsfield native helps to finish the 12-year drought of no Quebec male swimmers making Canada’s Olympic crew.

Writer of the article:

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Printed Jul 19, 2024 • Final up to date 1 day in the past • 4 minute learn

“I’d love for little children to look as much as me and see that there’s a strategy to make it to the Olympics,” says Patrick Hussey, who can be a part of Canada’s swim crew on the Paris Olympics. Courtesy of Patrick Hussey

Patrick Hussey’s highway to the Paris Olympics started as a 7-year-old when he began competing on the Pointe-Claire Swim Membership.

The Beaconsfield native would have a look at the membership data on the wall — together with many set by Victor Davis, who would go on to win 4 Olympic medals (one gold and three silver) — and surprise if someday his identify is perhaps up there.

Davis, a local of Guelph, Ont., was killed in 1989 at age 25 in a hit-and-run incident following an argument at a bar in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, a 12 months after competing at his second Olympics in Seoul. Davis was additionally on the Canadian crew for the 1984 Video games in Los Angeles.

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“Once we had been younger, we’d at all times have a look at the document board and see the names, and I wished to place my identify on that board,” Hussey stated throughout a current telephone interview from the College of North Carolina, the place he earned a swimming scholarship. “It was at all times a problem and a aim of mine to beat them.”

Hussey, now 23, set three Quebec data in Might on the Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials, which had been held in Toronto. He broke his personal earlier provincial document within the 200-metre freestyle twice and likewise broke the 100-metre freestyle document and certified for the Olympic 4×200-metre freestyle relay crew.

Hussey is one in every of three Quebecers on the Canadian Olympic swim crew, together with Montreal native Ilya Kharun and Mary-Sophie Harvey of Trois-Rivières. The final Quebec male swimmer to qualify for the Olympic crew earlier than Hussey and Kharun was Charles Francis for the 2012 Video games in London. Since Davis and Paul Szekula competed in Seoul in 1988, solely 4 different swimmers from the Pointe-Claire membership have made the Olympics: Craig Hutchison (Sydney, 2000), Tobias Oriwol (Beijing, 2008), Samantha Cheverton (London, 2012) and Hussey.

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The opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics can be held subsequent Friday, with the swimming competitors beginning the subsequent day.

TEAM CANADA 🇨🇦 JUNO BEACH

All 28 Canadian Olympic swimmers right here on Juno Seashore.@SwimmingCanada officers made positive this was constructed into their staging camp. Time away from the pool. Perspective. Gratitude. Not forgetting those that sacrificed their lives right here 80 years in the past. pic.twitter.com/pQuPPOL2oO

— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) July 18, 2024

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“It feels good to lastly have a Quebecer make it to the Olympics on the swim crew,” Hussey stated. “It’s loads of enjoyable for Quebec and it’s loads of enjoyable for whoever was a part of my journey to get somebody on the Olympic crew.”

Hussey’s older sisters, Stephanie and Cassandra, had been additionally members of the Pointe-Claire Swim Membership and helped encourage his Olympic dream. Hussey’s father and mom — John and Diane — helped him navigate a really busy sports activities schedule. Other than swimming, Hussey grew up taking part in hockey and soccer for the Lakeshore applications and likewise skied competitively. He gave up the opposite sports activities in his early teenagers to give attention to swimming with the Olympics as his aim.

“In a method it was a tough resolution as a result of I cherished taking part in different sports activities,” Hussey stated. “However I feel there was additionally loads of stress aid after going from video games to practices to highschool to swim meets. As a lot as I missed (the opposite sports activities) it was additionally loads of aid and extra time on my fingers to give attention to different issues.”

Hussey has already accomplished 4 years on the College of North Carolina and earned a level in economics. After the Olympics he’ll return to North Carolina for his fifth and closing 12 months of NCAA swimming eligibility whereas additionally engaged on a masters diploma in accounting.

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Making an Olympic crew in any sport is a serious accomplishment. What’s actually inspiring about athletes like Hussey in a sport like swimming is that there’s isn’t an enormous monetary reward sooner or later, like there is perhaps for hockey or basketball gamers.

A median day at college for Hussey begins when he wakes up round 5 a.m., will get some breakfast after which heads to the pool for 2 hours of coaching. After that, he attends lessons through the day earlier than hitting the load room for an hour after which it’s again to the pool for 2 extra hours of swimming. That’s adopted by homework, some “alone time” after which mattress.

“I sleep very effectively,” Hussey stated. “It’s not onerous to go to mattress early once you’re actually drained.”

The Canadian Olympic swimming crew has arrived on Juno Seashore.

That is such a significant second.

A spot of immense sacrifice for the liberty we get pleasure from right now. None of it misplaced of us right here right now. pic.twitter.com/QJgFNUrT9D

— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) July 18, 2024

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And not using a monetary reward, what’s it about swimming that has impressed Hussey to maintain chasing his Olympic dream?

“I feel loads of it’s simply desirous to be higher than I already am,” he stated. “I set a aim once I was younger that I wished to be an Olympian, so reaching this aim — despite the fact that there’s not as a lot (monetary) reward as different sports activities — there’s loads of satisfaction. You’ve labored so onerous and it simply feels actually good to form of have that second of aid the place you may say you probably did it.”

Hussey hopes he can encourage different children with Olympic desires.

“I’d love for little children to look as much as me and see that there’s a strategy to make it to the Olympics,” he stated. “I feel there’s some extent the place I didn’t assume I’d make it, and right here I’m. So I hope that may be inspiring to little children in order that they will consider in themselves to make it to the Olympics.”

scowan@postmedia.com

x.com/StuCowan1

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