First Time Olympians Series

Welcome to our new profile series highlighting Ontario's first time Olympic and Paralympic qualifiers who will be in Paris this summer.

You may have heard the song “What A Difference A Day Makes” popularized by American gospel singer and Grammy Award winner Dinah Washington released back in 1959.

So, what does one of the greatest songs ever recorded, and featured in an array of commercials, have to do with swimming and Julie Brousseau?

Not sure if the 18-year-old Brousseau has even heard the song, modernized by the voice of Diana Ross of Motown’s Supremes, but Brousseau knows all too well what a difference a day can make after her experience at the Canadian Olympic Trials.

She competed in several events, but that first day at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC) is something she would rather forget about. She did win a silver medal in the 400-metres freestyle and dropped three seconds off her personal best time, however Brousseau didn’t do as well as she had expected.

Brousseau was looking for a chance to nail down the qualifying time needed for the Summer Olympics. Disappointed, but not totally dejected, Brousseau was back in action the next day.

This time, in the 200-metres freestyle. She won another medal – bronze. Her time of one minute, 57.6 seconds was another personal best. Despite finishing third in a tough field of swimmers, Brousseau was ecstatic.

She had qualified for what is regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition – a trip to Paris for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. It is the athletic festival that originated in the 19th century and now has competitors from more than 200 countries.

While this version of the Olympics will feature the debut of breakdancing, Brousseau will be in the 15,000 seat Paris La Défense Arena performing in the 4 x 200-metres freestyle relay, joining Summer McIntosh, Mary-Sophie Harvey and Emma O’Croinin.

A first time Olympian, Brousseau is thrilled that she was selected as part of the Canadian contingent.

“The first day was not great for me, but qualifying for the Olympics more than makes up for it,” said Brousseau, an academic honours student finishing her last year of high school in Nepean, and prepping for post-secondary on scholarship at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

“I saw my time (in the 200-metres) and knew Canada would take three of us. It’s something so special to me, qualifying for the Olympics. All the hard work, pushing myself and staying committed.”

Brousseau has visited Paris in past – as a tourist. This time, the focus is on performance in the pool.

Regardless of the background of an athlete and the experience or notoriety, competing in a qualifying event for the Olympics, and in front of a home crowd, does rattle the nerves, creating anxiety and stress.

“It’s really awesome and very exciting,” said Brousseau, who likes to snack on a squeeze tube of apple sauce before races. “I went in to (the Olympic Trials) pretending it was a normal meet. I realized the importance, and it became very special. Now, it’s one of the highlights of my life.”

In 2022, I wrote about this talented young athlete when she was preparing for the Canada Games. Since then, she has compiled a resume of success in the water. Let’s start with the 11 medals won at those Canada Games, tying the record for most medals won at one Summer Games. Six were gold.

That same year, she was on Canada’s team at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships where she was a finalist in the 200-metres breaststroke. Brousseau also competed in her first World Cup later that year.

At the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile, Brousseau took home three medals – including gold in both the 400-metres individual medley and as a member of the 4 x 100-metres freestyle relay team.

Adding to her collection of medals, were seven earned at the 2024 World Aquatics Junior Championships in Netanya, Israel. Three were in individual events including a silver in the 200-metres freestyle.

Brousseau, who has a twin sister about two minutes older, trains nine times a week at the Nepean Sports Complex spending 20 hours between the pool and weight room. In the fall, she moves on to a new home – the eight-lane Olympic pool of the O'Connell Center at the University of Florida. It’s very similar to the facility at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC).

When asked about her formula for success, Brousseau gives accolades and tributes to her parents who got her involved in the Nepean Kanata Barracudas Swim Club. Toss in the culmination of hard work, intense training, and a solid commitment to inch closer and closer to perfection in a water sport.

For an individual who liked playing in the water as a toddler, her success is at the competitive level started under the coaching leadership of Jeremy Dumora. The past five years, the tutelage has come from coach Scott Faithfull.

“I have been very lucky to have great coaches,” she added. “What I have also learned is that I can always do better. Tomorrow is another day. It’s time to focus on teamwork and Paris.”

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.