Orangeville’s Madyson Hartway, ranked #1 in Canada, preparing for Olympic bid

July 28, 2022 · 0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

A combination of athletic ability, determination, and confidence is leading Orangeville swimmer, Madyson Hartway, toward a bid to become a member of the Canadian Olympic swim team.

While many athletes cut back on training or gave up completely during the COVID-19 pandemic, Madyson continued her regimen of swimming and dryland training to stay in top shape for her sport.

Her work ethic has paid off and she is now on her way to qualifying for the Olympic team.

Madyson began swimming with the Orangeville Otters when she was ‘seven or eight’ after trying several others sports.

She said she immediately enjoyed being in the water, and “found it very relaxing, and I like how it’s an individual sport.”

At first, she described herself as an ‘average swimmer’, but she started making gains and getting better.

Her coach Rob Taylor recognized her talent and suggested she would be good at the breast stroke. Madyson began focusing on training in the stroke and quickly excelled.

After competing for a few years, she began to move up the ranks and started entering competitions that required qualifying times.

In March of this year, Madyson made the junior Olympic qualify time at the Toronto Pan Am Centre in the Ontario Prep Trials. She then qualified for the senior level.

She qualified to attend the Olympic Trials in April and currently has achieved two national level times and has been ranked as #1 in Canada for the 50 and 100 metre breaststroke this year for 13- to 14-year-old female swimmers.

At the senior qualifiers, Madyson recorded the sixth fastest 50 metre breaststroke time by a 14-year-old, and the third fastest time in Ontario history.

Competing at the senior level means Madyson is up against older and more experienced athletes, but doesn’t mean she’s intimidated.

“I’m happy to be able to swim at that level,” Madyson said of competing with senior level athletes.

Madyson will be competing at the Canadian Swimming Championships in Montreal.

She continues to set goals and is swimming and training in hopes of making the Olympic team in 2024 or 2028.

Madyson trains six days a week both in the pool and with her dryland exercises.