• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Sunday, July 13, 2025
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The NY Journals
  • Home
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Trending
  • Home
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Politics
  • Trending
No Result
View All Result
The NY Journals
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

How Summer McIntosh helped chart her own course to Olympic success

by Sarkiya Ranen
in Health
How Summer McIntosh helped chart her own course to Olympic success
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Breadcrumb Trail Links

  1. News
  2. World
  3. Sports
  4. Olympics

‘A lot of that goes to her mentally and her tenacity wanting to be the best that she can be’

Get the latest from Rob Longley straight to your inbox

Published Jul 30, 2024  •  Last updated 30 minutes ago  •  5 minute read

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

An underwater view shows McIntosh competing in the heats of women’s 400m individual medley swimming event during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA /AFP via Getty Images

Article content

PARIS — Penny Oleksiak, the original Canadian diva of the Olympic swimming waters, laughed when she tried to describe the competitive acumen of her 17-year-old heir apparent, Summer McIntosh.

“People always ask if I’m Summer’s mentor or Summer’s looking up to me, but we’re totally different people,” Oleksiak said here at Paris 2024. “She’s on this insane path. She loves her lists. She’s meticulous with everything the does. I take a more laid-back approach to things.”

Advertisement 2

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

National Post

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

  • Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
  • Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
  • Support local journalism.

SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

  • Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
  • Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
  • Support local journalism.

REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
  • Enjoy additional articles per month.
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Don’t have an account? Create Account

or

Article content

The fact that Oleksiak, who with seven medals is the most decorated Canadian Olympian ever, has that opinion of McIntosh gives us a glimpse into just what makes the latter so fast and formidable. That drive married with attention to detail has landed McIntosh a gold and silver medal already in her first two individual events at La Defense Arena with the potential of three or more to come.

While her talent is unquestioned, that’s just one part of the code for her, especially given the path towards domination that McIntosh seems headed. To that end, she’s hands-on with planning — both in her training regimen and race strategy — contributing via an intellect that belies her age.

Bonjour Paris

“I think she’s very, very driven, organized and professional in how she goes about things,” Swimming Canada high performance director and national coach John Atkinson said. “She’s able to keep a wide vision on her events, but also works well with her coach, her parents and her support team to be very focused on what she needs to do.”

That focus manifests itself in many ways to further refine an already accomplished Olympian. Just shy of a year ago, McIntosh sat down with her coach Brent Arckey and they built a program together designed to maximize every moment of her time in Paris. The training was central, of course, but with knowledge of how the Paris schedule was to unfold, they locked heads to put a training plan together to focus on the right races.

Posted

NP Posted

Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

Thanks for signing up!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Article content

Advertisement 3

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

“It’s been 50 weeks, a year worth of preparation,” Arckey said in an interview prior to the Games. “It’s in a way been a whole life time for her – but certainly an emphasis for this entire year of setting up weeks that replicate the workload that could be coming (in Paris.)

“Physically we talked about what this could look like and feel like. How it’s going to be mentally. We don’t talk too much about the expectations. We talk more about the preparation. And just deal with whatever gets thrown at us.”

Mcintosh
Mcintosh poses with her medals after the women’s 400m individual medley swimming event. Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND /AFP via Getty Images

Because of spacing, the 200- and 400-metre freestyle — both events where she’s seen international success — were dropped. In training, there were weeks where they worked to best replicate the Paris schedule so as to get the body and mind ready to maximize the opportunity.

There was 100 per cent buy-in (and participation) from McIntosh, who applied the sense of detail that fascinated Oleksiak to every stroke of her training. She knew, for example, that Sunday and Tuesday were off-days in her racing program, which allowed her to go all in on the first two individual events on her ambitious slate.

Advertisement 4

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

“I think she’s built on all of her experiences over the last three years, just building off of good and bad and she’s done a good job of dealing with the moment,” Arckey said. “At this level it’s about racing on the day of and I think she handled the moment pretty well. That’s been years in the making. A lot of that goes to her mentally and her tenacity wanting to be the best that she can be.”

When he talks about McIntosh, it’s clear Arckey is in some ways in awe of his pupil, who is an athlete that people in the sport are already referring to as the best female swimmer here. As head coach of the Sarasota Sharks in Florida, Arckey is seen as one of the brighter young minds in the sport, but in sculpting the champion that is McIntosh, he marvels at her approach.

“We have never talked about colours of medals,” Arckey said of McIntosh’s insistence not to get lost in Olympic dreams. “We’ve always talked about being the best that we can possibly be, as cliche as it sounds. That stuff happens when you’re trying to be the best you can be. I’d be lying if I told you it wasn’t in the back of anybody’s mind. Of course it is. But it wasn’t important for us to talk about that. It was important to talk about other stuff day-to-day in order to have this result.”

Advertisement 5

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

She’s meticulous with everything the does

Arckey has talked about McIntosh’s ability to have her mind summon her body to push it to extreme physical limits. But he’s also seen her keen sense of what works on race day. When it comes to race strategy, McIntosh’s tactical mind is already proving a strength. Through the heats and finals of her two individual races here, McIntosh has shown her savvy in that regard. Broken down her strategy seems simple: Take care of business in the morning, empty the tank while gunning for a medal at night. In actual execution, the brilliance she’s shown in this facet of her sport resonates incredible maturity and intelligence for an athlete her age.

First to Monday’s gold medal win in the 400-metre individual medley: In the morning qualifier, she leisurely recorded the third fastest time which as enough to snag an inside lane — a critical task to keep an eye on the competition. In the final, there was no such mercy, as she was more than five seconds better than runner-up Katie Grimes of the U.S.

In her first event here, the sterling silver medal effort in the 400-metre freestyle, a 17-year-old with less mental acumen might have wilted at the assignment of taking on two wildly accomplished superstars in Aussie winner Ariarne Titmus and American bronze medallist Katie Ledecky. Instead, McIntosh dialled in to the playbook she and her coach had concocted.

“I think the best part is she’s willing to learn all that stuff,” Arckey said. “If you have a teenager who is willing to learn how to manage all that stuff this is the end result.”

And then Arckey articulated the key element to McIntosh’s ascent to becoming one of the best swimmers in the world. By being involved as she is, it shows that she intends to be in the sport for the long haul.

“If you love the process of trying to find ways to get better I think longevity happens. She’s interested in finding the ways to get better and that keeps her fresh and interested.”

Article content

Share this article in your social network

Get the latest from Rob Longley straight to your inbox



Source link

Tags: ChartHelpedMcIntoshOlympicSuccessSummer
Sarkiya Ranen

Sarkiya Ranen

I am an editor for Ny Journals, focusing on business and entrepreneurship. I love uncovering emerging trends and crafting stories that inspire and inform readers about innovative ventures and industry insights.

Next Post
Drishti IAS Head Vikas Divyakirti Reacts To Basement Tragedy, Crackdown

Drishti IAS Head Vikas Divyakirti Reacts To Basement Tragedy, Crackdown

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Joe Jonas and Model Stormi Bree Break Up After Brief Romance – E! Online

Joe Jonas and Model Stormi Bree Break Up After Brief Romance – E! Online

1 year ago
Sabana Reit denies allegations that bond issuance is ‘highly abnormal’ or ‘impedes internalisation’

Sabana Reit denies allegations that bond issuance is ‘highly abnormal’ or ‘impedes internalisation’

1 year ago

Popular News

    Connect with us

    The NY Journals pride themselves on assembling a proficient and dedicated team comprising seasoned journalists and editors. This collective commitment drives us to provide our esteemed readership with nothing short of the most comprehensive, accurate, and captivating news coverage available.

    Transcending the bounds of New York City to encompass a broader scope, we ensure that our audience remains well-informed and engaged with the latest developments, both locally and beyond.

    NEWS

    • Business
    • Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Real Estate
    Instagram Youtube

    © 2025 The New York Journals. All Rights Reserved.

    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • Business
    • Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Trending

    Copyright © 2023 The Nyjournals

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In