Hilary Caldwell was competitive and combative to the very end.
鈥淧eople ask if I am satisfied . . . but I always wanted to be better and faster,鈥� she said.
Caldwell, who came out of Saanich Commonwealth Place to win bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2013 world championships in the women鈥檚 200-metre backstroke, announced her retirement from swimming Wednesday.
鈥淚鈥檝e been humbled, however, by all the people who have contacted me since today鈥檚 announcement saying how much they admired my perseverance, toughness and grittiness,鈥� said the 27-year-old Caldwell.
The sheer determination of Caldwell and two-time Olympic medallist Ryan Cochrane of Victoria led Canadian swimming for several years before the breakout performances by a host of new stars, especially on the women鈥檚 side, at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
鈥淩yan and I won the only two Canadian pool medals at the 2013 world championships [in Barcelona],鈥� added Caldwell.
鈥淣ow, Swimming sa国际传媒 is in a much more exciting position.鈥�
Caldwell and Cochrane helped get it there.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have asked for a better group to train with in Saanich Commonwealth Place [after relocating from White Rock as a unheralded swimmer],鈥� said Caldwell, also a gold medallist in the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games and bronze medallist in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
鈥淚t was kind of a golden age in our pool.鈥�
There was never any doubt who the two leaders were.
鈥淸Caldwell] had to overcome so much. Everybody didn鈥檛 believe in her when she was younger,鈥� said Cochrane.
鈥淚t was always inspiring to see a woman who overcame a lot of obstacles to get to be one of the best in the world.鈥�
But while Caldwell faded to fifth last month in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, younger swimmers out of Saanich Commonwealth Place such as Sarah Darcel (silver medal), Faith Knelson (fourth place) and Jade Hannah (finalist) were making their presence felt.
鈥淭hese girls are eight to 10 years younger. It was a fun way to end,鈥� said Caldwell, about passing the torch.
She will be gone from the Saanich Commonwealth Place pool but not forgotten.
鈥淗ilary set the bar for hard work,鈥� said Ryan Mallette, head coach of the Swimming sa国际传媒 High Performance Centre-Victoria, in a statement.
鈥淗ilary set the bar for what you can do if you put your mind to something. She was the standard the young kids could follow in terms of all those things.鈥�
Caldwell said she has not decided about her future path but will finish her final semester to earn her degree in French and history at the University of Victoria.
鈥淚鈥檓 taking the summer off for the first time in 12 years and not rushing into anything,鈥� she said.
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