Mark Tewksbury Inspirational Talk
| Location | Sid Williams Theatre |
|---|---|
| Start date | Oct 8, 2026 7:30 PM |
| End date | Oct 8, 2026 9:30 PM |
| Declaration open | Sep 29, 2026 |
| Declaration deadline | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Registered members |
| Attachments | |
The Comox Valley will be receiving a special guest next week who is giving a lecture at the Sid Williams Theatre.
The Sharks are a Gold sponsor of the Mark Tewksbury event, a fundraiser for Gukwas sa Wagalus, Dawn to Dawn's supportive housing program for youth right here in the valley. When the organizers heard a swim club wanted to help, they added 25 free youth tickets to our sponsorship, because Mark, an Olympic gold medalist in the backstroke, told them he'd love to meet today's swimmers
Canadian swimming legend and Olympic gold medal winner in the 100 Backstroke Mark Tewksbury will be speaking on bullying, and inclusion for children in and out of sport. Why we're excited about it: Mark's talk is about handling pressure, staying the course when things get hard, and being yourself on a team. Every one of our swimmers deals with those things, and here they get to hear it from someone who went from a local club to the top of the Olympic podium, and then ask him questions. That doesn't come along often in a town our size.
A little info about Mark
- 3-time Olympic medalist and Olympic gold medalist in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
- Following his swimming career he was one of the first world class athletes to come out as gay and became a prominent LGBTQ advocate around the world
- He has spoken at UN and Human Rights organizations around the world in efforts to address discrimination and criminalization of homosexuality
- Chef de Mission for Canada's 2012 Olympic Team
- Vice President of the Canadian Olympic Committee
- In 2020 he received the Order of Canada for his work
We invite all families who are interested to attend the talk to consider it. Tickets for this fundraising event are $25 for adults and $15 for youth. (online purchase has an added service charge)
If you are interested in receiving one of the 25 free tickets please accept the invitation to the event. If we have more than 25 requests will have a random draw on Saturday to select the recipients. Winners will be contacted on the weekend.
This is a rare and unique opportunity for families that we wanted to bring to your attention.