Victoria swimmer Jeremy Bagshaw might be returning from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games without a medal around his neck, but he's still a winner, having fulfilled a lifelong dream of representing Canada at the iconic competition.
The 32-year-old swimmer has attempted to qualify for the Olympics since the Beijing Games in 2008, finally crossing the finishing line for success on his fifth attempt.
Bagshaw has previously represented Canada at the Pan Am Games, helping Canada win bronze in the 4x200-metre freestyle relay in 2015. He also swam at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022, but qualifying for the Olympics has always been his dream.
"It was an amazing feeling to qualify," said Bagshaw, speaking to Black Press Media from Paris. "Honestly, it was also a big feeling of relief ... just because I had been trying so long and had been so close to it, so many times."
Having narrowly missed qualification for Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Bagshaw's confidence had taken a couple knocks along the way, but his grit and determination wouldn't let him give up.
"I just knew that this was something that I have wanted for so long," he said. "And I knew, based on my training and my background, that I still had the ability to do it ... so I just kept pushing on it."
And push he did, all the way to his Olympic debut in Paris on July 30, competing in the 4x200m freestyle relay alongside Team Canada teammates Lorne Wigginton, Alex Axon and Patrick Hussey.
"It was exciting," said Bagshaw about the moment he walked out to the roaring crowds in the purpose-built aquatics centre. "It was something that I've been dreaming of for so long. And honestly, I wasn't that nervous going into the race, because all the hard work went into overcoming the Olympic trials and getting here, which has not been easy. So this moment was a big weight off my shoulders, weight I've been carrying for years."
Cheering Bagshaw from the stands were his friends and family, including his parents and fiancé Erica, which he said made his debut even more special.
"The stands here are huge, but I managed to pick them all out," Bagshaw said. "Right before I dove in, I actually looked up and saw them all cheering, and that really that took a lot of pressure off me and made it really exciting for me to race."
"For them to share this experience with me was something that I think is more special than actually being at the Olympics," he added about his parents, whose support he said has been key to his success.
Sadly for the quartet, they did not qualify for the final, but Bagshaw hopes that their performance will inspire the next generation of Canadian swimmers, especially those wanting to follow in his footsteps and compete in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
"This is a good starting point moving forward for the next generation of Canadian swimmers," he said. "I think it's really cool, because back home, these kids can see this, and see that they have potential to make the Olympic team and make an Olympic final."
Since making a splash in the pool, Bagshaw and his teammates have been poolside, cheering on the Canadian team. On Wednesday, July 31, Bagshaw had a front row seat to a moment in Canadian sporting history when Ilya Kharun won a bronze medal in the 200m butterfly, the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in men's swimming since London 2012, and the first Canadian to ever earn a medal in the 200m fly.
"The atmosphere was crazy," said Bagshaw. "The hard part was trying to overpower the French crowd, because Leon Marchand was also swimming and he had a phenomenal race. But to see Ilya walk out, see the Canadian flag go up, especially for a men's race; we haven't had that at the Olympics in so long, that was really cool moment for us."
Outside the aquatics centre, Bagshaw describes life in the Olympic Village as "pretty crazy", mixing with athletes from all across the globe and sitting down in the dining hall within touching distance of the likes of tennis superstars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
"It's a unique experience," Bagshaw said. "I don't think many people can get to have an experience like this outside of the Olympics."
Post-Olympics, Bagshaw will be swapping the pool for a stethoscope as he prepares to start work at the Royal London Hospital in the U.K., a mere two days after the closing ceremony in Paris on Aug. 11. The swimmer-turned-doctor recently graduated from medical school in Limerick, Ireland.
As for swimming, Bagshaw says that his professional career will be winding down, instead becoming more of a recreational swimmer and a cheerleader for the future swimming stars of Canada, and in particular, Victoria.
"We have a very tight-knit community," said Bagshaw about Victoria and its support for local sporting stars. "It's not just these two weeks during the Olympics, but we really feel their support all year round. I just want to thank everybody in Victoria, especially the sporting community. They do a lot for us, and we wouldn't do what we're doing without them. I definitely appreciate all the support that the community has given me over the years, and I hope to do the same for the next generation."
