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Three years ago we at Masters Swimming Ontario had chosen our next SWIMS Award winner (aka the order of the Soggy Goggles) but unfortunately she was quite ill and unable to attend the Provincials. The following year the banquet night was cancelled and then the next year she was hit by a car and unable to train and participate. We decided to treat her to a lunch instead and present her with her award. By now many of you will know we are speaking of Olenka McKee.

The SWIMS AWARD is given to someone who has made an impact on Masters Swimming in Ontario.

Being on the MSO board with Olenka I got to know her a little but not in the way some of her other swim colleagues did. As a board member Olenka was a very active participant and as Competition Chairperson she and Craig our webmaster formulated and introduced the 3 step sanctioning system which works exceptionally well as long as all 3 steps are completed. Thank you, thank you, Olenka.

I received a few words from some of her earlier fellow swimmers.

Olenka was inducted into the Waterloo County Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 for the following performances.

1996; 7 National Records. 100, 400, 1500 free

100, 200, 400 IM; 200 Bk

2000; 6 National Records. 100, 200, 400 free

100, 200 Bk; 200IM

These were called records which must have been 1sts but she was fast enough to set records.

Olenka is a born leader; if our coach was late she was the first to put a practice set on the board. At Worlds 2002 in New Zealand she organized our training before the competition.

On occasion we would play Water Polo after some training sets. She always went after the toughest guy [John Whitney ] to put him under water [never could]. That’s why he always referred to her as the lane bitch.

John Lenard once said he used a certain solution to clean his goggles to which Olenka said they used that solution in her lab to clean diamonds.. Perhaps that’s why someone made her a t-shirt with a dog wearing goggles.

In March 2001 a Canadian Record was set in the 4 x 100 Fr relay by Olenka, Norm McKee, Jan Steinberg and Stuart Martin. It didn’t stand long but it was a record.

Signed, Stuart Martin.  

From another swimmer

I was at Waterloo starting Sept 1971 and I first graduated in 1975.  I swam for Bob Graham for three years… 1971/72; 1972/73 and 1973/74. Yikes I have been swimming longer for Nepean Masters.

Olenka was married to Bob Graham and they had one daughter, who I babysat in my second year, she cried the whole night.  If you are on Facebook you will see messages between Olenka and Stephanie Graham.    http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infoswim/past_seasons/coaches.html

Olenka’s maiden name was GORAZDOWSKA I recall seeing her passport which had both the masculine and feminine versions of her name (father and her own) followed by Graham… so it was ALEXANDRA (Olenka) GORAZDOWSKA GORAZDOWSKI Graham.  

ALEXANDRA GORAZDOWSKA is listed as receiving the Waterloo Warrior Swim Team MVP award for the greatest contribution to the team in 1969-70.   http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infoswim/past_seasons/mvp.html

In Dec of my 2 nd year we went to Ft Lauderdale to train for Christmas.  Bob and Olenka took their VW Westfalia and I don’t know who had the station wagon. Can’t recall if there was a 3 rd car…. Think not.  At any rate, we had musical cars and I recall being in the station wagon with Bob and he was furious with whoever was in the van… the two “lovebirds” were in the back horsing around and all we could see was the van swaying back and forth on the road. (VW is planning on bringing back that Westfalia)  Unfortunately, Bob (I think it was him) backed into another car in a parking lot in Georgia of all places.  We were delayed some time while it was sorted out with the State Police.

Signed Brigitte Zirger