NAME: Mark Tewksbury
UNIVERSITY: Calgary
CATEGORY: Student-Athlete
SPORT: Men’s Swimming
YEARS ACTIVE: 1986-1990
HIGHLIGHTS:
3x Olympic medalist (gold and bronze in 1992, silver in 1988)
10 CIAU gold medals
Twice Dinos Male Athlete of the Year (1988, 1990)
Four-time Swimming Canada Male Athlete of the Year
BIOGRAPHY:
One of the most recognizable Canadian athletes in Olympic history, swimmer Mark Tewksbury made a splash at the University of Calgary before capturing gold at the Barcelona Summer Game in 1992.
A born-and-raised Calgarian, Tewksbury competed for the University of Calgary from 1986-87 and 1989-1990, a span which saw the Dinos win both the CIAU and Canada West swimming titles in all four of his seasons.
During his time as a student-athlete, Tewksbury won 13 medals at the CIAU championships, including 10 gold and two silver, along with a bronze, while setting records in both the 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke. He was named the Dinos Male Athlete of the Year twice, first in 1988 as a second-year competitor, and again in 1990, when he topped the podium four times at nationals.
In 1988, Tewksbury made his Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, where he won silver as a member of the Canadian men’s relay team. His signature moment came at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona when he won the 100-metre backstroke with an Olympic record time of 53.98 seconds. He also helped Canada’s relay team win bronze at the Barcelona Games.
During his international career, Tewksbury was named Swimming Canada’s Male Swimmer of the Year four times.
He is enshrined in the University of Calgary Hall of Fame, International Swimming Hall of Fame, Canadian Aquatic Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, and Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
Tewksbury is a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Board of Directors, and the Chair of Special Olympics Canada. In 2012, he served as Canada’s Chef de Mission for the London Summer Games.