Beverly Holden (née McKnight) is one half of Canada's duet
synchronized swimming
Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming) or artistic swimming is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by FINA (the ''Fédérati ...
team that won the bronze medal in the 1955
Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
in
Mexico City. This was the first year that synchronized swimming was a medal event in the Pan Am Games, having been a demonstration event in
Buenos Aires in 1951.
McKnight and Diane Ferguson (née Baker) competed in numerous events including the
British Empire & Commonwealth Games where it was also a demonstration sport. The duet won the Ontario Duet and Canadian Duet Championships in 1954. Originally coached by Jimmy Bishop at the Granite Club in Toronto, they moved to the Lakeshore Swimming Club after Bishop's death in 1952.
She married John Holden a month after winning the bronze medal, and retired shortly thereafter to raise a family in
Toronto and
Caledon, Ontario area. Beverly is also the grandmother of
Jake Holden
Jake Holden (born September 25, 1987) is a Canadian snowboarder. He competed primarily in snowboard cross. Holden represented Canada in this event at the 2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 s ...
, Canadian Olympic Boardercross team member and Canadian Jr. Champion in both Boardercross and Judo. They were both inducted to the Caledon Walk of Fame October 3, 2015.
References
Living people
Canadian synchronized swimmers
Year of birth missing (living people)
Pan American Games medalists in synchronized swimming
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada
Synchronized swimmers at the 1955 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games
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