Rachel Nicol has announced her retirement from professional swimming competitions. (Photo: Rachel Nicol)

By Christian Oldale

Lethbridge swimmer Rachel Nicol announces end to storied career

Apr 25, 2024 | 12:43 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A highly successful Lethbridge swimmer has called it a career.

Rachel Nicol spent 26 years of her life competing in swimming competitions. Nicol’s family moved to Lethbridge from Regina when she was eight years old, and she had begun competing four years before.

She broke onto the international scene in 2010 at the Youth Olympics. At the event, she claimed gold in the individual 50 breaststroke, bronze in the 100 breast, and bronze in the 4×100m freestyle relay.

From there, she made the senior national team for the 2015 Pan-Am Games, winning bronze and silver, before moving onto the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. At the Olympics, she finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke and fifth as part of Canada’s 4 x 100m medley relay team.

Nicol added that despite all the hard work, challenges and testing of Olympic trials, she felt a huge sense of accomplishment when she made the Games.

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Following the 2016 Olympics, Nicol continued her successful career with more international events.

She was named to Canada’s 2018 Commonwealth Games team, medaled at the 4×100 m medley relay in the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, and finished off her career on a high at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

In those games, Nichol won the 100m breaststroke and helped Canada claim gold in the 4×100 medley relay. Nicol said it was a great way to finish her competitive career.

Not long after her performance at the Pan Am games, Nicol announced her retirement from competitive swimming in January 2024. She announced the decision publicly on her Instagram page.

Now that she is retired, Nicol says she is working part time and “giving [herself] a chance to breathe.” Nicol adds she is looking forward to working with athlete advocacy, and she currently holds a spot on the Swimming Canada Athlete Advisory Committee.

She explained that she intends to continue working in sport and highlighting the importance of competition. “[Sport] is a great thing to have in society for multiple reasons. I think the system in place, its been in the news a lot, and I think there are some improvements to be made, and I really want to be a part of that.”

Nicol added that while she is happy with her retirement, and the circumstances around it, moving into her future has presented challenges after swimming for most of her life.

Through all of her success, Nicol wanted to extend a special message, thanking everyone for helping her achieve so much.

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