30 Facts About Summer Mortimer

Summer Ashley Mortimer was born on April 22,1993 and is a Canadian-Dutch former paraswimmer who competed internationally for Canada, and later the Netherlands national paralympic team, an artist, a performing artist, and CBC Sports personality.

Summer Mortimer competed in the 2008 Canadian Olympic Trials as an able-bodied swimmer, and retrained as a paraswimmer after a trampolining accident.

Summer Mortimer began competing at the international level in 2010 with an SM10 classification, setting world records in the process.

Summer Mortimer holds world records in the S10 50- and 100-metre long-course freestyle and the 50- 100- and 200-metre backstroke.

In 2013 Summer Mortimer applied to join the Netherlands national team, and announced her transfer in June 2014.

Summer Mortimer was a sports analyst for swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on CBC, as well as the 2020 Summer Paralympics, broadcast on CBC and AMI-tv.

Summer Mortimer co-hosted with Scott Russell for the 2022 Winter Paralympics and the 2024 Summer Paralympics on the same channels.

Summer Mortimer began swimming at age two; her mother is a co-owner of the Oakville Swim Academy.

Unaware that the Worlds were being broadcast, Summer Mortimer was caught by surprise and stuck her tongue out at the camera.

Summer Mortimer wears an elastic band which she snaps when aware of a negative thought; "incredibly hard on myself", it helps her realize the frequency of her "down" thinking and changes her mental perspective.

At the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Summer Mortimer won four gold medals and set five world records.

At the April 2012 Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Swimming Trials in Montreal, Summer Mortimer aimed to lower her world record in the 50-metre freestyle from 28.30 seconds to about 28.27; she finished in 28.17 seconds.

Summer Mortimer noted that her time was faster than her best able-bodied time.

Summer Mortimer's bronze was Canada's only medal on day nine of the competition.

Summer Mortimer receives honorariums for these appearances, and hoped to earn $3,000 in speaking fees in 2012.

Summer Mortimer said that Paralympic athletes received no prize money, despite thousands of dollars given by the government to winning Olympians and their coaches.

In 2013, Summer Mortimer applied to switch to the Netherlands national team; since her mother is from that country, she has dual citizenship.

Summer Mortimer was successful at the August 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships in Eindhoven.

In 2012, Summer Mortimer illustrated The Night I Met the Boogie Man, written by her twin sister Julia, and created murals.

In 2012, Summer Mortimer's work was included in the Talent Supporting Talent Canadian Athlete Art Exhibit, a fundraiser at the Jane Roos Gallery in Toronto.

Summer Mortimer discovered her passion for theatre when working as a vocal coach and assistant music director for Burlington Student Theatre.

Summer Mortimer was a nominee at the 2019 City of Hamilton Arts Awards, for the Emerging Media Arts Award.

In 2021, Summer Mortimer was named as the pool-side reporter for aquatics competition at the Olympic Games, and studio analyst for the Paralympic Games broadcasts on CBC and AMI-tv.

Summer Mortimer returned to co-host in-studio segments with Scott Russell for the opening and closing ceremonies and daily highlights programs, during the 2022 Winter Paralympics.

In November 2008, shortly after the Olympic trampoline trials, 15-year-old Summer Mortimer missed the sponge pit after bouncing on a mini-trampoline and fell 15 feet onto a concrete pad; her parents, spectators at the competition, saw the accident.

Amputation was a possibility, although Summer Mortimer was only informed of it in 2011.

Summer Mortimer spent six months in a wheelchair and another 18 months on crutches.

When Summer Mortimer's casts were removed her walking rehabilitation was in the water, and she thinks she would not be able to walk without the aquatic rehab.

Summer Mortimer hoped to increase interest in paralympic sport and to celebrate the bodies of all athletes.

Summer Mortimer was named after Summer Sanders, an American Olympic swimmer who won four medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, one year before she was born.