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Regan Rathwell reacts to her Olympic qualification at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials. Photo by Michael P. Hall/Swimming Canada via Swim Ontario/Facebook.

613 in Paris: Regan Rathwell’s journey from arm slings to Olympic rings

By Kiefer Uuksulainen on July 31, 2024

“613 in Paris” is our nine-part series profiling Olympic athletes representing Ottawa-Gatineau at Paris 2024. These written interviews, conducted before the competition, delve into each athlete’s experience with pandemic-era training, inspiration and community support, competition-day routines and rituals, and key elements to watch for in their respective sports.

Regan Rathwell of Ashton, Ontario, navigated injury-riddled waters for two years, but nothing could sink her Olympic aspirations.

Regan Rathwell reacts to her Olympic qualification at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials. Photo by Michael P. Hall/Swimming Canada via Swim Ontario/Facebook.

Apt613 connected with the 20-year-old swimmer in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a written interview before her Olympic debut in Paris 2024. In the interview, Rathwell discusses her takeaways from pandemic uncertainties, striving to “be the best person [she] can be,” and how the best routine is no routine at all. Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Regan Rathwell’s comeback from hospital bed to starting blocks highlights the determination it takes to become an Olympian. Photo via reganrathwell/Instagram.

Head, shoulders, neck, and foot… it’s not the start of a children’s song, but rather the series of setbacks Rathwell overcame in the last two years—a concussion weeks ahead of the 2024 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials, four surgeries over 14 months to repair torn labrums in both shoulders and a mass removal from her neck, and a broken foot—which she still competed on—suffered one month before the 2022 Canadian Swimming Trials.

In many ways, the native of Ashton, a small village 40 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, has always been swimming against the current towards her first Olympic Games.

“Training through the pandemic was difficult with all the uncertainties about access to facilities or when things would shut down,” says Rathwell. “It taught me to be adaptable, which has been really helpful [since] there are always uncertainties when competing in sport. Training through a pandemic gave me the perspective on how to approach unforeseen challenges.”

Regan Rathwell (left) at the 2021 Canadian Olympic Trials. Photo via reganrathwell/Instagram.

For the backstroke specialist, passion for sport is a key to overcoming adversity. “Every athlete experiences their fair share of ups and downs,” says Rathwell. “I think the biggest thing that gets people through dips is true passion and love for their sport. I strive to be the best person I can be [and] grow as not only an athlete but as a person.”

Rathwell, now a University of Tennessee sophomore, credits her Ottawa pool time for laying the foundation for her success. “I did most of my career with the Greater Ottawa Kingfish. They have been a huge part of my journey to get me where I am. The athletes and coaches there are all incredible and super supportive. Being surrounded by such an impressive group of athletes and dedicated coaches really makes you want to strive to be your best.”

Regan Rathwell outside Carleton Place High School ahead of her Olympic debut. Photo by Andrea Edmonds-Read (used with permission).

Rathwell chooses “not to have a particular routine for [competition] days.” The swimmer adds: “I go with the flow of how I’m feeling. The idea of having a routine and having it not go to plan is not something I like to worry about, so I try to avoid anything that could add additional stress.”

Rathwell gets her feet wet in the Paris 2024 Women’s 200m Backstroke, beginning on August 1 (with the Final scheduled for the following day). Rathwell concludes by saying “[swimming] is a very versatile sport just based off the different strokes and different distances of races. It’s interesting to see how each swimmer strategizes their race differently.”

Keep an eye out for all athletes representing Ottawa-Gatineau in Paris—those marked with an asterisk (*) have been covered as part of our local Olympian series: