2025 Canada Games Profile

Leading up to the Canada Games, Swim Ontario is highlighting some of the members of our fantastic team!

For swimmer Alex Yao, there’s always a golden opportunity.

Intense at times is the competition and his preparedness. But the 15-year-old, who is always emotionally charged (or maybe make that quite enthusiastic), he enters the pool and every race hoping for greatness and triumph.

There will always be unpredictable times mixed with enormous tensions, but Yao is not one to get too overwhelmed.

“I enter a race with two goals – to earn a medal and do a personal best,” said the Markham native who just completed Grade 10 at Bur Oak Secondary. “If that doesn’t happen, I always work hard at improving my strokes and finding ways to get better.”

Yet, there is something else that emerges about Yao – and often attracts quite a bit of attention.

That’s his ability to build up his teammates. Intensely charged and devoted to his teammates, some might refer to Yao as the cheerleader. A good call, and that’s because he is not only a former recipient of the “Most Improved” swimmer award with the Markham Aquatic Club (MAC) – but owns the clubs “Attitude Award”.

“I’m always hyping others – and even myself,” he said. “I enjoy doing it because it encourages and motivates them. You’re just not in the water and racing – but going to race for medals.”

Yao, a freestyle swimmer known more for distance races than sprints, also has a positive demeanour when asked about his history of race results.

“I’m a pretty basic guy – nothing really special about me,” said Yao, who can be modest. “I want to look in a mirror after a swim meet and know that I did my best and that amounted to a medal. If not, I must work harder the next time.”

Yao has come a long way since those early years when his parents introduced him to the sport with lessons at the Angus Glen Community Centre. At age eight, he joined a swim club – MAC -and kept progressing year after year.

The 5-foot-10 athlete may not have a wall of trophies, medals, citations, and plaques, but in addition to his positive gung-ho attitude, Yao exhibited a unique swimming ability that led to Swim Canada selecting him for the 2024 National Development Camp held in Spain. He’s also raced in Scotland earlier this year.

“One thing that I have learned, and consistently built on, is that swimming is a good life skill to have,” said Yao.

Yao was pegged by Swim Ontario – Canada’s largest provincial swim organization - as one of the elite 34 swimmers chosen to represent the province at the Canada Games set for August 8 to 25 in St. John’s, Nfld.

“I always had competing at the Canada Games on my mind,” he said. “Then, when I received the e-mail with the good news, I was a very happy guy – a huge smile. I did well at the Trials, but there were nights that I couldn’t sleep thinking about whether I’d get picked

Of note, is that Ontario’s contingent is made up of just 24 Olympic (that’s where Yao fits in), six Paralympic and four Special Olympics athletes. The Canada Games is the largest amateur sports event in the country and considered to be a showcase of able-bodied athletes and athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities.

At the 2025 Trials in Victoria, B.C., Yao – who swims the 400, 800 and 1,500-metres – had been on antibiotics after battling a nasty influenza.

“It was awful, just couldn’t shake it, but I was determined to compete and hope for the best,” he said. “Times weren’t great, but I know I can do better – and the Canada Games just might be the place.”

Yao will cheer on his teammates challenging for medals, personal best times and provincial bragging rights at the Aquarena Fitness Centre, located on the campus of Memorial University, but there is more. It’s about friendships generated from these events in addition to the quest to triumph over others.

There is lots of time devoted to training. Yao figures about 22 hours each week, adjusting his routine between pool time, dryland work and the weight room. As for preparation before a race, you’ll see him getting emotionally pumped listening to rap music.

“I broke some club records the past few years and hope to one day make the Senior National team and qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles,” added Yao. “As for now, the Canada Games experience will be something very special for me.”

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.