OlymPINK

She remembers it all too well.

Those Red Cross sessions, the pre-competitive program of learning strokes, starts and turns, the encouragement from her parents to learn to swim - and even the time, when as a youngster, her parents denied numerous requests that she had to join a swim club.

Things would change for Andrea Schwartz.

And then there was the time when, as an 11-year-old watching the 1988 Olympics from her home in Thunder Bay, a determined Schwartz told her parents that one day she would win a gold medal in swimming at the major global showcase.

Tenacious and steadfast, time seemed to elapse quickly. She would get her wish to join the Thunder Bay Thunderbolts Swim Club. What followed were countless hours in the pool, enjoying a sport that she adored and always went looking for ways to excel.

To her, now it was life in the fast lane.

Like everyone, there were occasions when times and challenges can be challenging. Schwartz would address every situation with poise, responsibility, and passion.

In time, hard work resulted in big time success, triumph, and fame. That included numerous personal medals. Add on Canadian championship wins, and the achievement levels would continue to pile up. Then came the moment when she would be ranked No. 7 in the world in the 200-metre butterfly.

“Swimming mattered to me more than school,” she said. “When I joined the club, I was the worst swimmer - and everyone knew it. But I was determined. Lots of hard work and I qualified for the Provincials at age 13.”

In 1996, the ultimate dream became a reality.

No more watching the Olympics on television that year. Schwartz would compete for Canada at the Summer Games in Atlanta, Ga.

She entered three events, but none resulted in medals. Schwartz was on a 4 x 200-metre freestyle team that placed fifth. In the 200-metre butterfly, she was ninth, and finished 20th in the 400-metre freestyle.

For Schwartz, competing in the Olympics was what she referred to as “a special experience that only so many people get to achieve in a lifetime”. For her, it was also against the best swimmers on the planet.

“It was, and still is, a big deal for me,” she recalled. “At age 19, I was competing at the Olympics. I remember the experience so well. Also, having (the Olympics) in the United States, and the overwhelming cheering that went on for the Americans.”

Among her achievements, a year after the Olympics, Schwartz would hit the medal round with a silver at the Pan Pacific championships in Japan as a member of the 4 x 200-metre freestyle relay team.

In time, there would be a different type of medal for the University of Calgary grad. It would also be far greater than gold – and yet not achieved in water. This one would also be bundled with lots of hope, promise and encouragement - but in a different way.

Now 46-years old, married and a mother of three teenagers, Schwartz-Smith is impacting the lives of thousands of people – likely from across the country – as co-founder of OlymPINK.

It’s an annual Ottawa-based fundraiser for Masters swimmers – those 18 years of age and older. The name comes from a combination of the Olympics and the symbol associated with breast cancer awareness.

Started in 2018 with Andrea Douglas, a breast cancer survivor, good friend and individual she met at a pool, it’s their way of raising awareness and funds through the Ottawa Cancer Foundation for the Rose Ages Breast Health Centre at The Ottawa Hospital.

Providing high quality care for breast cancer patients, the Centre offers expertise in breast imaging, diagnosis, risk assessment, surgical planning, and psychosocial support. It also has state of the art equipment that was paid for by funds raised through OlymPINK.

In its inaugural year of 2018, OlymPINK – which is sanctioned by Masters Swimming Ontario - raised almost $19,000. The next year the figures surged to $44,000. In 2020, again a leap to $70,000 and while the event was shut down the next two years because of the pandemic, in 2023 the fund-raising reached an impressive $153.000.

“It’s overwhelming to see what can be done and how people care so much for the well-being of others,” said Schwartz-Smith, who said the 2024 campaign goal is to set aside funds to maintain treatment programs.

Not seeing herself as a philanthropist, Schwartz-Smith looks at the donations as a way of supporting breast cancer care and research – and doing it in a community where both Douglas and her reside. For them, it is about showing up, contributing, making human connections, and bringing attention and understanding.

“What we do, OlymPINK, is very special to me,” said Schwartz-Smith. “My husband lost his mother after her second recurrence of breast cancer and when I heard (Douglas’s) story, I just knew that I wanted to be involved in doing something to help others.”

Schwartz-Smith, who retired from competitive swimming at the age of 23, didn’t go far from the water. She’s now coaching one of her daughters.

In addition to a coaching gig with a teenage group for Swim Ottawa, she is the owner and head coach for BTRAIN Swimming, a competitive Masters swim club located at the Brewer pool near Carleton University.

With BTRAIN now in its 20th year, Schwartz-Smith focusses on swimmers of all ages and abilities. Putting together achievement plans, she assesses errors in swim strokes and follows through with corrective measures. Tack on the various administrative responsibilities of running a club, maintaining high standards, credibility, and reputation.

“I had met (Douglas) while coaching one of my (BTRAIN) programs,” said Schwartz-Smith. “We later went for a coffee and talked about many things - including runs and bike rides that raised funds for cancer research. We wondered why not a fundraiser in swimming?”

Now the proud owner of medals, enough to fill a box, they are a record of achievements at a variety of swim meets. Schwartz-Smith has come a long way since those early years of learning the backstroke at an indoor pool in northwestern Ontario.

OlymPINK partners Olympians and breast cancer survivors together for a ceremonial Survivor Swim during meets.

“It's the most meaningful part of the meet, as we announce all the Olympians and breast cancer survivors to the crowd,” said Schwartz-Smith. “Then we get in the pool together, pair off, and complete a ceremonial lap of the pool holding the same kickboard and a plastic torch. It's a powerful moment.”

For Schwartz-Smith, there are many memories.

“I’m incredibly fortunate to be involved for some 35 years in swimming,” she said. “Working with athletes, coaches, and parents, it’s great to give back to a sport that gave me so much.

“What I am involved in (with Douglas) is something that is extremely valuable – and in so many ways,” she said. “OlymPINK honours the one in eight women that will face a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and we hope that through our efforts, their journey will be a little bit easier.”

Learn more about OlymPINK

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.