Canadian Olympic Medalist Rebecca Smith Announces Retirement

Two-time Canadian Olympian Rebecca Smith announced her retirement from competitive swimming on Wednesday after a decorated career in the pool.

Smith, 24, will pursue a career in nursing after she became a registered nurse in between the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

She wrote on Instagram:

After 17 years of competitive swimming, it’s time to move on to the next chapter.

I am unbelievably grateful for all the opportunities swimming has given me and for the many memories & friendships made along the way.

From starting in Red Deer, moving to Toronto at 16 years old, and coming back to Calgary 5 years later, I am so thankful for the journey and experiences.
Thank you to my parents for their unending love & support over the years.
Thank you to my home club in Red Deer, my HPC-ONT fam, UofT, UofC, and Cascade swim club.

Swimming has been a big part of my life for so long and I praise God for giving me the ability to swim competitively. I know that all the opportunities and experiences I’ve had came from Him and I give Him all the glory.
I would have never imagined that when I started swimming at 7 years old that I would be a 2x Olympian and an Olympic silver medalist.

I look forward to my next chapter as I work as a NICU nurse and enjoy trying new
things 😊 Thank you all for the love and support over the years.

Also, thanks to the little girl in the last pic for finding the love for swimming 🩵

 

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A native of Red Deer, Alberta, Smith won a pair of relay medals at the 2015 World Junior Championships and then had an international breakout of sorts at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacs, winning five silver medals including three individually in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly.

In the fall of 2016, after commuting from Red Deer to Calgary multiple times a week to train with Cascade Swim Club, Smith made the move across the country to join the High Performance Centre – Ontario in Toronto under coach Ben Titley.

“Making that move was a huge decision,” Smith told Swimming Canada. “Everyone thought I was crazy driving on the 401 at 16.”

Smith was immediately immersed in a burgeoning group of elite swimmers, with the likes of Chantal Van Landeghem, Sandrine Mainville and Taylor Ruck training at the center coming off a breakout performance at the Rio Olympics.

“I immediately loved it,” Smith said. “It was really intense training but I’m so glad I made that decision to train with the best in the country.”

She was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning 4×200 free relay at the 2017 World Juniors, and then made her senior international debut later that year at the World Championships in Budapest, swimming a prelim leg on the Canadian mixed 4×100 medley relay that went on to win bronze.

“That was a pivotal moment for me in realizing I had the capability of being on the senior national team and progressing,” Smith said.

After winning two relay medals at the 2018 Pan Pacs and one at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Smith was a semi-finalist in the 100 fly while winning the first three World Championship medals of her career at the 2019 Worlds in Gwangju, earning a trio of bronzes in the women’s 4×100 free, 4×200 free and 4×100 medley relays.

She specifically noted the silver medal she won at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the women’s 4×200 free relay as one of her career highlights.

“I did that alongside (HPC-Ontario teammates) Kayla (Sanchez), Taylor and Penny (Oleksiak),” Smith told Swimming Canada. “I think that one always sticks in my mind as being super special because we were training together nine times a week and doing weights three times a week. Being on that podium together was awesome and obviously the Australian crowd (in Gold Coast) was something else. That’s something I’ll never forget.”

Smith then earned a berth on her first Olympic team in 2021, winning a silver medal in Tokyo on the Canadian women’s 4×100 free relay after splitting 53.63 in the final. She also swam on the 4×200 free relay that finished 4th.

Coming off the Olympics, Smith returned to Alberta and represented for the University of Calgary in Canadian university competition, winning a total of five individual U SPORTS titles across the 2022 (100/200 free, 50/100 fly) and 2023 championships (100 fly).

At the end of 2021, Smith showed off her prowess in the SCM pool on the global stage, winning four medals at the 2021 Short Course World Championships in Abu Dhabi, including three relay gold medals and an individual silver in the 200 free, setting a new Canadian Record of 1:52.24.

“That was my first major individual medal on the senior level,” Smith said of her 200 free breakthrough. “To do that after just starting nursing school and coming off the Games was a really exciting time and something I’ll always remember for sure. Every woman (on the Canadian team) came back with a medal which was just amazing.”

After winning silver on the women’s 4×100 free relay and bronze on the 4×200 free relay at the 2022 LC Worlds in Budapest, Smith racked up five medals at the 2022 SC World Championships in Melbourne, including a repeat silver in the 200 free while tying her time from the 2021 final exactly (1:52.24).

After missing the 2023 World Championship team, Smith came back with a strong showing in 2024, first winning a pair of relay bronze medals at the World Championships in Doha while placing 11th individually in the 200 free. She then earned a berth on a second Canadian Olympic team, going on to finish 24th in the 100 fly in Paris.

Smith began a new full-time role on the neonatal intensive care unit at Calgary’s Rockyview General Hospital on Monday. She believes the team aspect of swimming will serve her well in her new career.

“It’s focusing on yourself but being aware that your teammates also have an effect on your performance as well,” Smith told Swimming Canada. “Someone might have an individual race that didn’t go well but we might have a relay that same evening.”

“I think it’s just kind of being respectful of their race but also pumping them up to get excited for the next race. Help them move forward and have those encouraging words for your teammates when they need them. I think that really makes all the difference.”