Tom Ponting
Swimming Athlete - Inducted 1996
Tom Ponting has won thirty-one national swimming championships in individual events, along with two hundred and sixty relay triumphs. He has competed in 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympic Games at which he won silver in the Medley Relay Team events in both 1984 and 1988. In 1992, the team won the bronze medal in Medley Relay. He has won six medals at Commonwealth Games meets six medals at Pan Pacific Championships, and two medals during World University Games competitions.
Tom Ponting has received recognition many times for his outstanding achievements as a swimmer. These include the Calgary Booster Club Honoured Athlete twice; the Special achievement once; the Government of Canada Award four times; the 1985 City of Calgary Athlete of the Year; Canada's 1988/89 Aquatic Athlete of the Year; and was the World Cup Champion in both 1989 and 1991 for highest points total.
After Induction
Tom Ponting was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1998. Since his retirement from competitive swimming, Tom coached swimming at the Nose Creek Swim Association, Calgary Patriots Swim Club - Head coach, and the UC Swim Club. In 2016 he became the coach of the Charlottetown Bluefins Swim Team. Coaching for 20 years, Tom is a certified NCCP Level 3 coach. He will be also coaching the University of PEI varsity swim team.
