KAPUSKASING -- Danika Ethier was first introduced to swimming by her babysitter. It wasn't long before she was doing laps in a Kapuskasing pool along with her sister, who she says sparked her interest in the sport.
“I started swimming at Donat Brousseau Pool, and my sister and I were swimming because our babysitter introduced us to the sport,” said Ethier. “I think it’s really because of my sister. She started swimming and I thought that was interesting, so I did it as well."
Swimming was not the only sport in which Ethier participated while growing up in Kapuskasing, also spending time skiing and playing volleyball and basketball. But swimming soon emerged as a clear favourite.
As her abilities enabled her to begin qualifying her for competitions at the provincial level, Ethier saw serious opportunities.
Ethier competed for Canada in the Junior Pan Pacific Junior Championships in August, where she placed sixth in the 100 L Breast, after earning a gold medal in the Canadian Junior and Senior Championships in Montreal in July.
Ethier hopes her athletic achievements also inspire other young people in Kapuskasing to pursue their own love of sports, and to follow their dreams.
Ethier is currently pursuing her own deams in Ottawa, where she is attending school and continuing her swimming career with the Greater Ottawa Kingfish, working with coach Patrick Paradis, who has coached athletes on the Canadian national team.
Support from her family has been just as key in allowing her to make it this far, Ethier emphasized, but she still has her sights on further achievements. Ethier said she is keeping the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the 2028 Games in Los Angeles in the back of her mind.
