A former Belleville resident has been named to the London (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame.
Marie Claire Bilyk (née Ross) was named to the hall on Wednesday.
Bilyk attended St. Michael Catholic School and Nicholson Catholic College, and went on to compete in para-swimming in the 1990s, representing Canada on the international scene at many Paralympics and para world championships.
You can read her full biography below:
- Born in Kingston, Ontario in 1975
- Attended elementary school and high school in Belleville
- Born with full vision but became legally blind at age seven due to a genetic retinal disease
- Using funds from her paper route, bought a membership at an indoor pool while in Grade 8
- She would walk one hour each way to practise on her own
- After training for a year made high school swim team in Grade 9
- Participated in first blind/disabled swim meet in Grade 10 and was told if she joined a competitive swim club she would have the opportunity of participating in 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games
- Moved to London and began her Grade 11 year at Catholic Central
- Joined the London Aquatic Club in 1991 and participated in many meets throughout the following years
- At 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games she won four medals: one silver (100m breast-stroke) and three bronze (4X100m freestyle relay, 4X100m medley relay and 50M freestyle)
- Following graduation from Catholic Central she attended Ryerson University in Toronto to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition which she completed in 1998
- At 1994 IPC World Swimming Championships she won silver (200m medley) and bronze (100m butterfly)
- At 1996 Atlanta Paralympics Bilyk won two gold (200 medley, 100m breast-stroke), one silver (100m backstroke) and three bronze medals (50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle)
- Her golds in the 200m medley and 100m breast-stroke were world records
- At 1998 World Championships, Bilyk won gold medals in 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke
- Was Ryerson swim team captain in her third and fourth years
- In 1997 became first athlete with a disability to qualify for the CIS (university) national swimming championships
- In 1998, Marie Claire against her sighted peers won the OUA silver medal in the 50-metre butterfly and bronze in the 200m individual medley
- Moved to Vancouver where she completed a Masters degree in Nutrition at University of British Columbia (UBC)
- While studying in Vancouver she trained at Canada’s High Performance Swim Training Centre at UBC
- She married in 1999, retiring from competitive swimming
- London Aquatic Club Wall of Fame honoree
- Returned to London in 2002 where she and her husband raised their two children
- Currently works as a trauma recovery coach and Catholic Spiritual Director
