Olympic swimming legend Elaine Tanner dropped in for a cuppa Saturday morning and handed a copy of her children鈥檚 book, Monkey Guy and the Cosmic Fairy, to the staff at Alexander鈥檚 Coffee Bar in Sidney.
鈥淭hey have been open every day during the pandemic and I know so many firefighters and police on the Peninsula were appreciative of being able to get a coffee through all this,鈥� said the 5-foot-3 Tanner, who was nicknamed Mighty Mouse.
The North Saanich resident has been giving away hundreds of copies because she believes its message resonates in this time. Boxes of the title, numbering 1,500 books, have been sent for free distribution at sa国际传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital, SickKids in Toronto and Island Health with individual copies to people such as Premier John Horgan and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, sa国际传媒 health minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
鈥淚 took all my life lessons and put it into the book. The theme of the book is about giving of ourselves and giving selflessly,鈥� said Tanner, who signed as many of the books as she could with inspirational messages.
鈥淲e have seen so many people struggling through this pandemic and others becoming unsung heroes by jumping in during a time of need and reaching out to help. I saw so many parallels with the message in the book.鈥�
There have also been societal cracks revealed by the pandemic.
鈥淚 have never seen the world so divisive,鈥� said Tanner.
鈥淭he story in the book is about learning and giving and being kind and compassionate.鈥�
The 69-year-old grandmother of three, a recipient of the Order of sa国际传媒, knows hers is just a small gesture, but that it might help bring a smile to a young reader鈥檚 face.
Tanner competed in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, which were not cancelled or postponed, despite the Hong Kong flu pandemic that year, which killed a million people worldwide.
What advice does she have for aspiring Olympians, including those many training on the Island, whose dreams of Tokyo 2020 have been deferred to 2021 because of the current pandemic?
鈥淩efocus and continue to believe in yourselves,鈥� said Tanner.
That is something Tanner learned to do in her own life post-Olympics. She became at 17 the first Canadian female swimmer to medal in the Olympics and the first Canadian to win a swimming medal since 1928. Her three medals at Mexico City almost single-handedly matched sa国际传媒鈥檚 all-time previous Olympic pool total of five. But among her two individual silver medals and relay bronze wasn鈥檛 the anticipated gold the nation had been expecting after her world-record success at the 1966 Commonwealth Games and 1967 Pan Am Games. Incredibly, she was labelled an underachiever. It wasn鈥檛 until decades later that her Olympian feats were truly recognized as the Canadian sporting landmarks that they are.
Tanner said her post-Olympic experience mirrored what today is referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder, as she spiralled into severe emotional and career decline. Time, and perspective, were her saviours. It is those lessons that have been channelled into her children鈥檚 book, which she originally wrote as a tale for her grandchildren Grayson, Alex and Nathan. Now she hopes the story resonates with others in this time.
鈥淚nteracting with children keeps you youthful and curious. The story is about unconditional love and to be kind in the journey of life,鈥� Tanner said.
The world needs that message now more than ever, she added. And she is spreading it with a gift of books.
