"Diversity, equity, and inclusion are very important and more education for coaches is needed especially at the age group level."

Matt Dans knows all about the pursuit of excellence.

As a youngster, he was always curious, focussed, energetic and just willing to take advantage of opportunities. A time would come when, because of his inquisitiveness, one area would stand out more than ever.

That was something called - problem-solving.

Dans was, and still is, gold medal material in that topic of discussion. His ability to deal with a variety of obstacles has been exceptional. Maybe it had to do with the affection for mathematics that somehow clicked in. At one time, his fondness for numbers had him tinkering with a career in engineering or architecture.

Problem-solving came in handy when he played house league hockey and basketball. Same for swimming, a sport that would rise to the top of his list. At around age three, Dans learned how to float on water, dive and even submerge while at the family cottage in the Haliburton - the picturesque highlands north of Toronto.

Competitive swimming became a reality when Dans hooked up with the Lakeshore Swim Club. With colleges throughout the United States using a wide range of scholarships to attract elite athletes, Dans instead chose the University of Toronto – a place where he earned a degree in computer sciences and was a member of the school’s nationally acclaimed swim program.

“I know that I had made the right choice,” he said. “Everything that I had wanted was there.”

The accolades piled up quickly during his five years with the Varsity Blues and the Toronto Swim Club, but the awards were not restricted to his performance in the pool.

Dans was proud of the one given to him as a student who devoted a great deal to university athletics in the areas of leadership, sportsmanship, and performance. Another one Dans holds dearly, is the Dean’s Student Leadership Award.

Yet, when it came to competing in swimming, Dans was superb in solving dilemmas that would lead to significant improvement and fine-tuning of strokes. He knew that hard work in race performance, usually meant better times and that would generate people talking, community exposure and so much more.

Dans would soon find himself quickly advancing from progress to triumph to victory. In total, over five years, he would win 11 medals at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) swim championships and six more medals competing against the best at the national university finals.

There are many major accomplishments by Dans, now a consultant working in software development for a major global company, but some stand supreme.

For instance, it was at age 19 when he emerged with a gold medal in the 100-metre butterfly at the 2014 Summer National championships in Saskatoon, Sask. Then, living in the Ottawa west end area of Westboro, he swam with the Greater Ottawa Kingfish Swim Club.

Dans suffered a huge setback in 2015. That’s when he herniated a disc in his lower back and required surgery. Doctors pointed to overuse, which had triggered aggravation in the lower back and excruciating pain – lots of it.

“I figured that was it, no more swimming,” said Dans, who was born in Toronto. “At first, I was too stubborn to quit, but eventually did. My retirement from the pool didn’t last. Five months later, I was back in the water and feeling good.”

Then came the Canadian Interuniversity Sports championships in Laval, Que. where he won the 50-metres butterfly and celebrated with the U of T winning the national title. It was huge for him and would later fulfill a dream by earning a spot with Canada’s squad, competing at the 2019 International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer Games in Naples, Italy.

The Toronto-born Dans, a four-time OUA all-star, three-time all-Canadian and now a Level 3 swim official, excelled in academics, athletics, leadership, and community service. At U of T, he told teammates and friends that he was a member of the gay community.

“It was inevitable, and it’s no more a secret,” said Dans. “The support of the swimming and varsity community, as well as meeting other openly gay athletes for the first time, gave me the courage to come out in my everyday life. I would eventually tell my family, who was very religious, and wasn’t sure how it would go over. But they were very supportive.”

Dans said he had told close friends when he lived in Ottawa - but was not comfortable going public back then.

His story is part of a series launched by Swim Ontario that highlights athletes, coaches and officials who continue to celebrate diversity, inclusion, and equity in the sport across Canada’s largest province.

“Swimming, and all other sports, can be a big part of a young person’s life,” said Dans. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are very important and more education for coaches is needed especially at the age group level. Communication is important, too, and so is making everyone feel that they can participate.”

The driving force behind U of T's first-ever “Pride Game” was Dans - and he actively promoted inclusion for LGBTQ+ athletes. In addition to his portfolio of swimming, academics, and activities, Dans took on the role of Ambassador for the Varsity Blues Buddy Up program, which runs leadership and community programs.

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.