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Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #48, Penny Oleksiak

By Toronto Life

| November 28, 2016

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Penny Oleksiak

Olympic swimmer

48Toronto’s most dominant athlete of 2016 wasn’t a Raptor, Leaf or Jay, but a shy 16-year-old swimmer who brings a lucky blankie with her to meets. Going into Rio, Oleksiak was a relative unknown. Then she won Canada’s first medal there, a bronze in the freestyle relay. Then came another medal, and another, and another. By the time she hoisted the flag at the closing ceremonies, she was a national superstar, earning shout-outs from Justin Trudeau and Drake, and a parade in her honour when she landed back in Toronto.

Up next:

Graduating high school and training for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. During the next two Games, she’ll be in her 20s—the age when most swimmers are at their best.

Penny Oleksiak

Olympic swimmer

Up next:

Toronto's Most Influential People of 2016

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #1, Justin Trudeau

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #2, Drake

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #3, John Tory

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #4, Kathleen Wynne

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #5, Gerald Butts

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #6, Bill Morneau

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #7, George Cope

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #8, Katie Telford

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #9, Jennifer Keesmaat

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #10, Masai Ujiri

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #11, Ratna Omidvar

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #12, David Thomson

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #13, Tracey Cook

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #14, Cameron Bailey and Piers Handling

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #15, Marie Henein

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #16, Larry Tanenbaum

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #17, Deb Matthews

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #18, The Weeknd

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #19, Josh Donaldson

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #20, Doug Murphy

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #21, Charles Khabouth

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #22, Eric Hoskins

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #23, Gord Downie

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #24, Mark Shapiro

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #25, Patrick Brown

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #26, Kevin O’Leary

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #27, John Zerucelli

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #28, Ted Livingston

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #29, Tatiana Maslany

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #30, Ian Black

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #31, Sandy Hudson and Janaya Khan

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #32, Rachel McAdams

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #33, Heather Reisman

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #34, Cory Joseph, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #35, Karen Kain

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #36, Stephan Jost

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #37, Joshua Basseches

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #38, Michael Katchen

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #39, Kristin Cochrane

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #40, John Ruffolo

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #41, Mitzie Hunter

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #42, Sarah Polley

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #43, Iain Klugman

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #44, Maureen Taylor

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #45, Mary Ann Turcke

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #46, Mohamad Fakih

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #47, Matt Galloway

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #49, Carolyn Bennett

Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #50, Michael Ford

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