“I started swimming competitively when I was nine years old,” said Const. Donna Cole as she shared her Olympic games memories.
She competed in Los Angeles in 1984 and in Seoul, Korea in 1988 as a member of Team Canada. In addition to the two Olympic games, she also competed in the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia in 1982 and in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1986.
“When I was selected to join Team Canada for the Commonwealth Games, I was only 13 years old,” said Cole. “You can’t begin to imagine how exciting that was for me; it was huge.”
Cole got to stay in Australia for a couple of weeks after the games, and she had the opportunity to relax and explore a few of the country’s highlights.
“Then, I was 15 years old when I competed in the ’84 Olympics in Los Angeles,” she noted. “Again, the level of excitement was unbelievable for me.”
“Just being a part of an Olympic competition is something that I’ll never forget. There’s one moment in-particular that stands out for me: I got to swim on the first day – just walking out onto the pool deck was absolutely exhilarating – there were 12,000 people there,” exclaimed Const. Cole.
Asked about what an Olympic opening ceremony is like, she answered “They’re very structured and formal. The closing ceremonies, however, are a lot different; the pressure is off and it’s like a big wrap-up party.”
Const. Cole is a mother of three, and she’s still an active swimmer. Her advice to young athletes? “They should believe in the dream.”
“When I have the opportunity to speak with school children about my Olympic experiences, they always ask, ‘Did you win?’ And, I always tell them that only one person can win . . . even getting there is a huge challenge. To be among the top eight of the best swimmers in the world is a major accomplishment,”
“I encourage young people to pursue their dreams. I was just a normal kid growing up. It doesn’t take a special person to do something special. Whatever they’re good at, or whatever they want to try, they should pursue their dream – there’s no harm in trying. Sometimes we fall short, but sometimes we don’t. And you never know what you’re capable of unless you put yourself out there,” concluded Const. Cole.