21-year-old Red Deerian Rebecca Smith, seen here competing at the 2020 Olympic Swimming Trials in June 2021. (Scott Grant, Gerard Richardson and Michael P. Hall/Swimming Canada)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Just 21, Red Deer’s Rebecca Smith ready for first Olympics

Jun 26, 2021 | 11:41 AM

Red Deer’s Rebecca Smith is headed to the Olympic Games.

A swimmer, the 21-year old qualified by putting in a top-notch performance this week at the Canadian Olympic Trials in Toronto.

Smith finished third in the 200 metre freestyle event to secure her trip to Tokyo next month where she’ll race the 4×200 metre relay. Her teammates for the relay will include Toronto’s Penny Oleksiak and Summer McIntosh, as well as Katerine Savard of Pont-Rouge, QC.

Savard and Oleksiak led Canada to a bronze medal and national record in the 4×200 metre relay at Rio 2016.

Originally a member of Red Deer’s Catalina Swim Club, Smith also has a chance to be selected for the 4×100 metre relay, an event Canada also took bronze in at Rio with Oleksiak at the helm.

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“It means so much. It’s been a long five years of hard work, sacrifice and determination. I moved to Toronto when I was 16 to train with the high performance centre and national head coach. After finding out the Games were cancelled last year because of COVID, it was tough,” Smith admits.

“But I was able to train at home for four months, run, and lots of people opened up their backyard pools for me to get some laps in. I’m so glad that the Games are going ahead and all my hard work will pay off.”

Competing in front of a limited number of spectators shouldn’t be an issue, she says, as the team has been swimming for typically zero over the last year. The International Olympic Committee recently announced that up to 10,000 Japanese fans (or 50 per cent capacity) will be the only ones allowed inside Olympic venues.

“I’m not really nervous. I’m pretty confident with the team we have in place to keep us all as safe as possible,” says the Lindsay Thurber and Gateway Christian alumna. “I also just got my second dose of vaccine and most of our team will be the same way by the time we get there.”

Smith also credits her family for helping her reach this point.

“Their support has meant everything,” she says. “They’ve made so many sacrifices; my mom drove me to the pool every day when I was younger, and the same with my dad. Also, when I was home this past year, Weber Physiotherapy loaned me some gym equipment. I have so many people to thank.”

Twenty-six swimmers representing Canada head to Vancouver for a two-week staging camp starting July 3, and then fly to Tokyo July 16. The Tokyo Olympics run July 23-August 8.

RELATED: Red Deer’s Tammy Cunnington returning to Paralympics with unfinished business