2025 OUA Swimmer Spotlight Series

The 2025 OUA Championships are coming up February 7-9 in Markham! Meet some of the Ontario University swimmers competing in this new series!

Thomas Steele knows all about dealing with problems.

At just 20 years of age, he’s had more than his share of troubling times. Some are very personal. Others are accidental.

Call it a life rollercoaster ride of sorts filled with the craziness of trials and tribulations. He’s not alone as most humans have their stories.

However, in every situation, Steele has never given up when confronted with a stumbling block or misfortunes. He makes the adjustments, gets right back to his goals, learns about coping and makes the appropriate modifications that lead to the road of success.

Making a huge impact on his life is the combo of academics and athletics.

Now in his second year of studies at the University of Guelph, he’s focussed on earning a degree in Commerce and a career in real estate. Steele is the recipient of accolades associated with several significant awards that include academic and swim scholarships. Not to be missed, is the title of 2024 “Rookie of the Year” bestowed on him by the university swim club.

As for competition in the Ontario University Athletics swim championships (and he’s only been to one) the medal cupboard is still empty. Year one at Guelph was what some might call a rocky start. In fact, he rarely – pardon the pun – got his feet wet.

“About one month into the season, I broke my right wrist and didn’t know how things would turn out and what it would be like going forward,” said Steele, who said he recalled the trip to Guelph General Hospital where emergency department medical staff informed him of a severe fracture.

This wasn’t the first time Steele had broken the same wrist.

Let’s zoom back to École élémentaire catholique Saint-René-Goupil. A school-age youngster in Grade 1, Steele fell off the monkey bars. Those are the bars children tend to flock to for physical development and usually outside at recess or after school. For him, it was also swelling, a contusion and pain.

Back to university life, Steele was enjoying his freshman year and was playing some ultimate frisbee with friends. While jumping for the disc, Steele collided with another person in midair. A lump quickly developed in the wrist area, and Steele knew something was very wrong. Then, came the message confirming re-fracturing the same wrist.

While on the topic of injuries, Steele broke a foot playing basketball.

“I thought the (swim) season was over,” said Steele, who says the sport has always been his getaway for enjoyment. “It’s not easy watching from the sidelines as my teammates were in the water - and I wasn’t. By the time I got the good news that things were healing, it was too late to get a water-proof cast. But I knew there would be a lot to make up. I was just eager to get back in the water and help the team.”

Steele returned to the Guelph Gryphons Aquatic Centre pool almost three months later, and was able to compete and, remarkably, reach the finals in three events at the 2024 OUA championships in St. Catharines.

“It was a huge surprise, “he said. “The OUA finals - and I was able to set a personal best time of two minutes, 04.4 seconds in the 200-metres backstroke. I still have some on-and-off serious pain and there is a mobility issue, but I need patience and time to fully heal.”

With his older brother, also a swimmer and a student at the University of Ottawa, Steele almost chose to reunite with him and head to Canada’s Capital. There’s nothing like being at the same school, and in the same pool – even though his sibling might have a slight edge when discussions focus on who is the better swimmer in the family.

James Steele won a bronze medal in the 200-metres individual medley at the 2018 Junior Nationals in Winnipeg.

“My brother is my idol and that I have always been looking up to him,” said Thomas Steele. “He always kept me going, motivating me and believing in me no matter what issues were happening in our lives.”

Determined and ruthless, Steele is anxious to get another shot at the OUA finals – this time set for the Markham Pan Am Centre, just north of Toronto.

As a youngster, Steele was fascinated with making the Olympics and being an astronaut. These days, he’s cognizant that competing against the world may not be a reality. As for his fascination with space, that just might be finishing races quicker and shaving time off his races.

Guelph has been his base for many things. Steele was born in the vibrant city. He attended Guelph Centennial Collegiate (a school credited with having Canada's first high school lunch cafeteria) and was Most Valuable Player on the swim team.

At the age of six, initiation to competitive swimming started with the Guelph Marlin Swim Club under the leadership of Chantique Carey-Payne, who is now the varsity coach with the university squad. Steele left the Marlin and shifted to the Royal City Aquatics and was coached by John Carey, whose wife is coaching Steele again. This time – at university.

Fond of how his coaches have always played a huge role in helping him to develop as a competitive swimmer, Steele picked up the coaching bug. In short, he’s coaching a beginners competition group of youngsters between the ages of five and 11 at Royal City Aquatics.

“To coach is a great feeling and I remember what coaches have done for me,” said Steele. “As a coach, I enjoy putting smiles on the faces of kids and being that positive person in their lives.”

Swim Ontario, in conjunction with the OUA, values the commitment to the sport by athletes, coaches and officials in Ontario and Canadian universities. This story is part of a series that has the spotlight shining on a variety of individuals, and their post-secondary institutions, who excel in academics, swimming and community life.

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.