Masters Spotlight

Leading up to the 2026-2027 season, we are highlighting some of the outstanding people that we have in our Ontario Masters Swimming Community.

By David Grossman

Dreams coming true are priceless.

Talk to Dan Thompson and he’ll share, more than his notable milestones, but how his lifetime in swimming has helped who he is today.

For now, however, his international success in swimming - along with numerous personal accolades and awards of distinction - are no longer his primary drive in life.

At age 70, the priority has been altered – and evolved to living a way of life that is healthy and values knowledge, confidence and sound judgement.

The objective, he says, is more crucial than standing on a podium and receiving a medal.

Proud of his accomplishments as an elite competitor swimmer, indeed, but there is something else of extreme significance. Call him the influencer, the educator, or whatever other word fits the description that emphasizes creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

To simplify things, it’s about taking the time to focus on optimizing healthy lifestyle habits – like sleep, nutrition, hand fitness. Toss in weight training for those over the age of 60.

Thompson is sending a signal that the key to longevity is a refocusing on a pattern of positive habits including avoiding ultra-processed food. Echoing commentary from doctors, and aimed especially for older adults, Thompson believes eating the wrong foods adds to the risk of weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. It’s something that might very affect every day performance.

“I’m a life-long swimmer and hope to be doing commercials at age 95,” said Thompson, referring to the joy of swimming.

“As I grow away from being younger, it’s better to focus on emotional health and leading a more balanced lifestyle. nutrition, exercise, sleep, emotional health leading to a more of a balanced lifestyle. For me, the exhilaration of swimming is part of it and so is being with positive people in an uplifting environment.”

Thompson is more than just a swimmer. Educated at the University of Toronto, his professional career – encompassing some 40 years – has been in marketing, sponsorship, sports management and not-for-profit leadership.

As a former President of one of Canada’s largest sponsorship marketing companies, MacLaren Momentum, Thompson also served as the President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. Currently, he’s the country manager for Myrtha Pools, the world's leading modular stainless steel pool system. His goal is to convince municipalities to build more functional aquatic learning centres for Canadians.

“There comes a time in life when a person needs to focus on setting life up for success,” said Thompson, who lives on an island grove in Lake Simcoe. “It’s not always what you have accomplished, but what you have taken from that experience and how it impacted your life.”

As a strong advocate for aquatics, Thompson – who started competitive swimming late at age 16 - has harnessed the sport as a conduit to healthy living, aging and being physically active.

So how did he get involved in swimming. It wasn’t lessons as a toddler. Ironically, Thompson stumbled on swimming by accident.

He had been playing golf at the Donalda Golf and Country Club in Toronto when the club’s lifeguard – a former Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame inductee – asked him if he would swim a few races in competition involving private clubs.

Not only was it his first swim meet, but that conversation would change the course of Thompson’s life. Forget about gymnastics and skiing, Thompson found a new form of enjoyment.

But things didn’t come easy.

He credits a group of coaches, advisors and fitness instructors for turning a novice swimmer into a contender. It took time mastering strokes, working on confidence, gaining endurance and dedication plus rigorous weight training.

The butterfly event would become his specialty. It’s a stroke that requires intense upper-body strength, precise timing, and a demanding full-body dolphin kick.

“I didn’t aspire to become an elite swimmer until one of my coaches told me I had talent and potential,” said Thompson, who would go on to achieve dominance across the Canadian university swim circuit – including being named Swimmer of the Year in the Canadian university system.

“You can have raw natural talent and drive, but I also had some superb coaches who made sure I was focussed and doing things right.”

A huge highlight for Thompson came in 1983, when he became one of the world’s best. Thompson tied the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) World short course mark (53.17 seconds) in the 100-metres butterfly. Impressive.

A year later, in 1984, Thompson took some time off swimming – 14 years - to focus on his professional career. Then, at age 42, he was back in the pool with the Aurora Master Ducks Swim Club.

Competing in the Masters category, that’s for swimmers older than 18. It’s where age brackets are set in five-year increments starting at 18–24, followed by 25–29, and continuing upwards with no upper age limit.

This past March, at the Ontario Masters Swim Championships in Toronto, Thompson won four events – each in World record times for the 70-74 age classification.

His performance in the water was no fluke. Reviewing his growth in the sport, Thompson owned nine Canadian records in a four-year span from 1979-1983 and still recalls his first one – that was a gold medal performance at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.

“When you find something passionate, it’s hard to let it go,” said Thompson. “Swimming has been good to me. I enjoy it and feel great after getting out of the water.”

The swim accomplishments, on the global side, started in 1977 with one international success followed by another. At the World Student Games in Bulgaria, he won two silver medals. A year later, two more medals – this time both gold – at those Commonwealth Games in Alberta.

Thompson was on a roll and hadn’t finished adding to his collection. He earned two more silver medals at the 1979 Pan Am Games in Puerto Rico.

“There are some things you remember and others that need a reminder or two” said Thompson, whose name appears in the prestigious University of Toronto Sports Hall of Fame, the Town of Aurora Hall of Fame, the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame and the Canadian Aquatics Hall of Fame in Winnipeg.

In 1980, Thompson was to represent Canada at the Olympics in Moscow. The Games were boycotted hy 65 countries with Canada being one of them.

“We had been warned of the situation, but it was still very disappointing and I was disillusioned,” said Thompson. “I wasn’t going to the alternative Games.

“Sometimes in life, you need to learn to park things that our out of your control. I’m proud of how I handled that situation and took what I learned to create a balanced perspective on 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. In 2026, he was inducted to the Toronto Sports Hall of Honour with a Lifetime Achievement Award.