n 1954, the Canadian National Exhibition invited the world's top marathon swimmer- Florence Chadwick of the United States-to swim 50 chilling kilometre's across Lake Ontario. The prize: $10,000. Three Canadian women also took it upon themselves to participate in the attempt, prize money or not. While Chadwick and two other contestants faltered after several hours in treacherous waters, 16-year-old Marilyn Bell, who had entered the event practically unnoticed, was the only one to swim on. Canadians stayed awake all that night listening to radio reports of her struggle with the waves and wind pushing her off-course. When, after a grueling 21 hours, Marilyn finally staggered out of the water, more the 100,000 people were crowding on the Toronto shoreline to greet her. Millions more across the country rejoiced in her victory as the first person ever-male or female-to conquer Lake Ontario.

Instantly, Marilyn Bell was an international celebrity. Not only was she awarded the prize money, but gifts poured in from across the country: $50,000 cash, a brand new Cadillac, watches, furs, a lifetime supply of breakfast cereal, and two live chinchilla's!

Her dramatic crossing of Lake Ontario was only the first of many achievements for Bell. There wasn't much that you couldn't admire about the young woman. Sixteen, petite, freckled, polite, and serious, she came from a modest background and was dedicated to teaching physically challenged children how to swim. Canadians admired her stubbornness, dedication, and courage. Her victories were not only personal; they became a source of great national pride.

After her spectacular introduction into marathon swimming, Bell continued breaking records in various meets around the world. At the ripe age of 18, she gave it all up to live a modest life away from the limelight. But when she was in the water, she was the quintessential Canadian sporting icon of her time.

t was the turn of the century and Canada was optimistic. Growth and prosperity were spreading rapidly throughout the country. The question was no longer "Can Canada survive?" but rather "How populous and prosperous can Canada become?" It was this confident, hopeful mindset that fostered Canada's "Golden Age of Sports."

Canadians had been competing on top of the water since the early 19th century; inside their boats, sailors had little or no actual contact with the water. At the time people were deathly afraid of the open sea, which is primarily why swimming as a sport only started to expand in the early 20th century. Although there was a competitive swim club that existed at the end of the 19th century, and swimming was gaining acceptance with mass swimming lessons taught by the YMCA and the Royal Life Saving Society, the purveying attitude is summed up in an 1835 survey of swimming, which identified a Toronto youth as "certainly the best floater in Canada."

This general fear of open waters is precisely why swimming was so popular; audiences were both terrified and titillated to see the participants 'conquer' the rough waves. The first highlight in Canadian aquatics came with the extravagant era of marathon swimming in the 1920s and 30s. Marathon swimmers were not consumed with breaking world records as were other athletes. Bottom line: their main objective was to walk away with the cash and glory. It worked out nicely for them because the spectators were more than willing to give them both.

If there is one quality that marks Canada's best marathon swimmers, it's a simple one: endurance. By displaying such outstanding endurance they have traditionally stolen the spotlight from the skills performed by shorter Olympic 'sprinters', divers, and synchronized swimmers.

However, Canada has had significant success in all water sports, bringing this country recognition and pride since the organization of aquatics in the 20s.

In 1984 Sylvie Bernier succeeded in winning Canada's first gold medal in Olympic diving, the first Olympic gold medal for a female athlete from Québec. She went on to claim medals in the Commonwealth Games, the World University Games, and the Pan Am Games.

The most controversial event in the history of synchronized swimming was when Sylvie Frechette competed at the 1992 Olympic Games. Frechette's performance was stunning- there was no question that she would walk away with the gold. But one of the judges accidentally punched in the wrong number when scoring and Frechette placed a close second. The judge hastily retracted her error, but politics and bureaucracy took the day and Frechette did not walk away with the gold.

The controversy that followed was about more that a medal. The priorities of the sporting community, the quality of judging, and even the credibility of synchronized swimming itself were called into question. The Canadian Olympic Committee appealed the results on Frechette's behalf and a year later the medal was awarded to her. At last, she was a gold medal winner.