Penelope Oleksiak, also known as “Penny,” is a Canadian swimmer and her country’s youngest Olympic champion. She is also Canada's most decorated Olympian, holding records for being the first Canadian to win four medals in the same Summer Olympics.
She also has the Olympic record in the 100 m freestyle alongside female swimmer Simone Manuel. An attendee at the last two Summer Olympic Games. She is Canada's first athlete to win a medal at 16 and is a world-renowned butterfly swimmer. She has been an incredible talent from a very young age.
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Penny Oleksiak's net worth is an estimated $2 million. Her pay is obtained through her brand deals, Olympic sponsorships, and swimming career. Keep reading to see how Penny burst onto the swimming scene, turned her winnings into a growing net worth, and continues to grow the sport of women swimming across Canada.
Penny Oleksiak Early Introduction to Swimming
Penny was encouraged to pursue swimming after learning at a neighbor’s pool at nine. She was also involved in gymnastics and competitive dance throughout her childhood. After being rejected by several swim clubs after failing to swim the length of the pool, she was allowed to train with coach Gary Nolden at the Toronto Olympian Swim Team. After a race at the University of Toronto, she drew the attention of future Olympic Swim Coach Ben Titley, who would lead the Olympic Women's Swim team. At the age of 14, Penny began training with the coach weekly. Her most notable early career wins came in the 2014 Canadian Age Group Championships, where she won 10 individual medals. Five gold, three silver, and two bronze.
Penny Oleksiak Competitive Swimming Career
Penny broke out in the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, in which she competed only six weeks after fracturing her elbow. She won gold in the mixed 4 x 100 m freestyle relay, silver in her 100 m freestyle event, silver in the 50 m and 100 m butterfly, and bronze in the 4 x 100 freestyle event. She is known for her expertise in butterfly events.
Penny was training to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, hosted in Rio de Janeiro. Penny set the Junior world record in the 100-meter freestyle event. Chantal Van Landeghem's Canadian Record. She would later join Van Lendeghem in the Olympics. Penny set the Canadian, and World Junior records in the 100 m butterfly.
Penny reached her goal, qualifying easily for the Summer Games in Rio. In the 2016 Summer Olympics, Penny was able to pick up two bronze medals. Picking up one in the 4 x 100-meter and one in the 4 x 200-meter women’s freestyle relays. She also obtained a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly. Finally, she managed to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the 100 m freestyle event.
In 2017, she won the 100-meter freestyle event and the butterfly races in the Team Canada Trials, which earned her a spot in the 2017 World Aquatics Championships. She capped off an exciting 2017 season by participating in the World Junior Swimming Championships in Indianapolis. She was a featured member of the Canadian Women's Relay team that swept the competition, winning all five gold medals and breaking the junior world record and the championship record in four events.
In her second foray into the Summer Olympics, Penny was, unfortunately, unable to replicate a gold medal-winning performance. She was able to win a silver medal in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle, a bronze in the 200-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 4 x 100-meter medley.
In her 2022 season, Ben Titley left his post, making way for new coach Ryan Mallette. Three weeks before the 2022 swimming season, in early March, she contracted COVID-19, hindering her preparation. Her most recent news includes disqualifying at her 200-meter event at the World Aquatics Championships.
Penny Oleksiak Personal Life, Family Life, and Upbringing
Penny was born on June 13th, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She went to Monarch Park Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario, before departing at the end of the 2016-2017 school year.
A Canadian swimming prodigy, Oleksiak was born and raised by immigrant parents. Her father is a Polish American, while her Mother is a Scottish immigrant. She is the youngest of five siblings. Her younger brother Jamie Oleksiak is her most famous sibling, an NHL defenceman who plays for the Seattle Kraken. Her family has an athletic background, as her father played basketball, football and field athletics; her mother held multiple Scottish Age Group swimming records in freestyle and backstroke. Her older sister Hayley was a former rower at Northeastern University. Her older brother Jake played college hockey.
Penny Oleksiak Net Worth and Career Earnings
As a Canadian Competitive Swimmer and Olympian, Penny Oleksiak's net worth increases by race winnings and securing endorsements. She is also heavily sponsored, receives a lot of commission for brand deals from Canadian companies, and is featured in nationwide commercials.
She is also a brand ambassador for the Phelps swim brand, drawing comparisons to the heavily decorated American Olympic Swimmer.
She is “a marketing dream,” according to experts in the field.
