Make it back-to-back Male Swimmer of the Year – Paralympic Program awards for Nicholas Bennett.
First honoured by Swimming Canada a year ago after he became a world champion for the first time, the native of Parksville, B.C., left the competition behind this season. He is being recognized for a sensational showing at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where he captured three medals, including the first Paralympic titles of his young career.
“It’s an absolute honour to receive this award once again,” said Bennett, who turned 21 in mid-November. “It just shows what hard work and determination can lead to.”
In the French capital, hard work and determination – along with a healthy dose of talent – led Bennett, who competes in the S14 class, to triumphs in the 100-m breaststroke and 200 individual medley, as well as a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle.
His time of 2:06.05 in the 200 IM was a Paralympic record, while his 1:53.61 in the 200 free lowered his own Canadian standard.
The only Canadian Para swimmer to win two gold medals in Paris, Bennett was named one of Canada’s flag bearers for the closing ceremonies.
He also became the first Canadian male swimmer to win a Paralympic title since 2012, the first to capture multiple gold medals at a single Games since 2004, and the first to reach the podium three times since 2012.
“You always dream about those kinds of moments but you never really expect them to come,” said Bennett, when asked if the full scope of his accomplishments had entirely sunk in a few months after the fact.
“Every time I look in the mirror, I just see myself. It’s kind of weird sometimes to think that those monumental accomplishments happened. I still have a hard time believing it.”
Among the countless accolades Bennett received following his historical performance, a congratulatory phone call from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood out.
“It was a little strange… but in a good way,” he said with a chuckle. “Having the leader of your country call you, and know all about what you did, it was strange for me but it felt amazing to be recognized at that level.”
Haley Bennett-Osborne coaches her younger brother at the Red Deer Catalina Swim Club in Alberta. She got to witness his exploits firsthand in Paris as a member of the Canadian coaching staff.
“I’m super proud of how he performed,” said the 2024 Canadian Coach of the Year – Paralympic Program. “The Games is such a big event. Looking back, especially considering how much emotion and how much stress was attached to the whole experience, he did very, very well.”
Both coach and athlete knew reaching the podium in Paris, maybe even winning a title, was possible after Bennett’s remarkable Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020. At only 17, he made three finals in Japan while setting Canadian records in each of the four events in which he competed.
Their best shot, they thought, was in the 200 IM, with Bennett having set the world record of 2:05.97 last May at the Olympic & Paralympic Swimming Trials, Presented by Bell.
That one turned out to be his second gold-medal swim in Paris, on Day 7.
Two days earlier, in the 100 breast final, Bennett surprised many – including his sister and himself – by outracing world record holder Naohide Yamaguchi of Japan, the defending Paralympic champion and reigning-three time world titlist in the event.
“The 100 breast… that was one we weren’t expecting at all. It was kind of a surprise,” said Bennett-Osborne.
“Both (gold medals) are very special but the 100 breast was just so unexpected,” added Bennett.
“We had been working on that event the entire year leading up to Paris. The only reason we won it is we put in the work. We wanted the last 25 metres to be the strongest part of my race. And it worked.”
In the Paralympic final, the Canadian was third at the halfway mark but then found another gear to win in 1:03.98 ahead of Australia’s Jake Michel (1:04.27) and Yamaguchi (1:04.94), who settled for bronze.
Following a promising Games debut in Tokyo and the highly successful Paris campaign, the brother-sister duo is already thinking about the next Paralympic cycle.
“A few months after, you kind of reflect, and see if this is something Nick wants to do again,” said Bennett-Osborne. “So the first thing was, we had to talk about that. And he does. He’s really excited to get back into it.”
What are the expectations leading up to next year’s world championships in Singapore (Sept. 21-27, 2025), or even the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics further down the road?
“Maybe three gold medals next time,” Bennett said laughing. “Seriously, keep building off our strengths and refine was isn’t as good. Keep hammering down just like we did during the last cycle, and we’ll see what happens.”
While fully confident in her brother’s abilities, Bennett-Osborne offers a word of caution.
“The Paralympic movement keeps growing, it gets more competitive every year,” she said. “We have to keep that in mind.
“We can’t just focus on ‘OK, in LA, instead of winning two gold medals, we’re going to win three.’ Because you can’t control anything outside of yourself, outside of the country.
“I think it needs to be more focused on ‘How do I get better?’ and we’ll see where he’s at in four years.”