Nancy Garapick Obituary, Death
Swim Nova Scotia has shared the passing of Nancy Ellen Garapick, who died peacefully at her home in Langley, British Columbia, on Monday, April 6, leaving behind a legacy that profoundly shaped Canadian swimming.
Born on September 24, 1961, Garapick emerged as a prodigious talent whose achievements redefined excellence in the sport. In 1975, at just 14 years old, she became the youngest recipient of Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year honor—an early testament to her remarkable abilities.
Her record-breaking journey began even earlier. At age 13, she set a world record in the 200-metre backstroke during the Eastern Canadian Swimming Championships in Brantford, Ontario, competing for the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club. That same year, she claimed victory in the 200-yard backstroke at the U.S. National AAU Championships and captured silver and bronze medals in backstroke events at the World Aquatics Championships 1975.
Garapick reached the Olympic podium at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where she earned two bronze medals in the 100- and 200-metre backstroke events. Her success continued in 1977, with victories in the 200- and 400-yard individual medley at the U.S. AAU National Short Course Championships, followed by world-best performances in the 200- and 400-metre individual medley at the Canadian Short Course Championships in Edmonton.
Throughout her distinguished career, she secured 17 Canadian national titles and a total of 38 championship medals. Her dominance was evident from an early age, having already set 12 national age-group records by the time she was 12. In 1973, she made history as the youngest competitor at the Canada Summer Games 1973.
At the collegiate level, she competed for the University of California, winning the AIAW 200 individual medley championship in 1981. She later represented Dalhousie University, where she earned five gold medals at the Canadian Interuniversity Championships in 1982.
Her legacy has been formally recognized through her induction into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Garapick pursued academic excellence, earning a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University in 1982 and a Bachelor of Education from Mount Saint Vincent University in 1983.
In a final message shared with the community, Nancy extended her heartfelt wishes to swimmers across Canada and expressed enduring love to her Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club family—an enduring symbol of the connections that defined her life both in and out of the pool.