Helen Vanderburg (born January 12, 1959) is a former

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

synchronized swimmer and world champion.

Career

Vanderburg began synchronized swimming in 1969 at age eleven. From 1971 to 1973, she was a member of junior national championship teams, and in 1973 she captured the junior Canadian solo and duet championships. In 1977, Vanderburg joined the senior ranks, winning the solo and duet competition, with partner

Michelle Calkins Michelle Calkins is a Canadian former synchronized swimmer, world champion and coach. Career Calkins trained with the Calgary Aquabelles. In her first international competition she won a silver medal in the team event at the 1973 World Aquatics ...

, at the Canadian Aquatic Championships, the first of three years that she won both events. Vanderburg was the first non-American to win the World Championship at both the Solo and Duet events, doing so at the 1978 World Aquatic Championships in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

. After Calkins' retirement in 1978 Vanderburg partnered with

Kelly Kryczka Kelly Kryczka (born July 8, 1961) is a Canadian competitor in synchronized swimming, world champion and Olympic medalist. Career Kelly Kryczka began synchronized swimming at the Calgary Glencoe Club and then moved on to train with the Calgary Aq ...

, they went on to win gold in the duet at the

1979 Pan American Games The 1979 Pan American Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Panamericanos de 1979''), officially the VIII Pan American Games were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization, and were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to July 15 ...

, Vanderburg also won gold in the solo event. Vanderburg retired from competition in 1979.

Titles

1979 *

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

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

) - gold in both solo and duet; silver in the team * Fina World Cup (in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

) - gold in both solo and duet * Pan Pacific Games (in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

) - gold in solo * Canadian Senior Champion - solo, duet and figures 1978 * World Aquatics Championships (in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

) - gold in both solo and duet * Canadian Senior Champion - solo, duet and figures 1977 * Pan Pacific Games (in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

) - gold in duet; silver in solo and team * Canadian Senior Champion - both solo and duet 1973 * Canadian Jr. Champion - both solo and duet

Honors

Vanderburg was awarded the

Velma Springstead Trophy The Velma Springstead Trophy is an award presented annually to Canada's outstanding female athlete. It is named in honour of track athlete Velma Springstead whose career ended prematurely when she died from pneumonia in 1927 when only 20 years old. ...

in 1979 as Canada's outstanding female athlete of the year Vanderburg was elected to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. She was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, and in 1985, she was inducted into the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

References

External links

Official web site

* ttp://ishof.org/helen-vanderberg-(can).html International Swimming Hall of Fame profile
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanderburg, Helen 1959 births Living people Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductees Canadian people of Dutch descent Swimmers from Calgary Canadian synchronized swimmers University of Calgary alumni Pan American Games medalists in synchronized swimming Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada Synchronized swimmers at the 1979 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games

Career

Titles

Honors

See also

References

External links