Something to Cheer For!
July 23, 2021
The long awaited Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are finally here! While we will all be cheering for Team Canada, Red Deerians will also be cheering for two local swimmers.
Red Deer natives Rebecca Smith and Tammy Cunnington are representing Team Canada in swimming at the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
At only 21 years old, the former Red Deer Catalina Swim Club athlete Rebecca Smith will be competing in the 4×200 metre relay in just a couple days. After winning two bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Trials earlier this year in June, Smith secured her plane ticket to her very first Olympic Games. Over the years, she has proven herself a formidable teammate in the relay events and we simply cannot wait to see her in action at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre. Make sure you tune in on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 to see her race and support her from home.
Mark your calendars! On Saturday, August 28, 2021, Tammy Cunnington will be participating in her first of three events at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. After surviving a life-threatening accident at the 1982 Ponoka Air Show at age six, Cunnington was left paraplegic with the full use of her right arm, plus her core and shoulders. Determined not to let her disability stop her, she was rapidly introduced to the world of Para Sports. The Red Deer Catalina Club swimmer and Keynote Speaker has since won many medals and holds an impressive six records. This will be her second participation in Paralympic events.
The City of Red Deer is incredibly proud of these two driven and talented athletes. We will be cheering them on at each step of the competition and invite all citizens to do the same. Send them your best words of encouragement and let’s show them how powerful hometown love can be! Stop by the Recreation Centre to admire the banner that was erected in their honor.