Phyllis Delma Dewar (March 5, 1916 – April 8, 1961), also known by her married name Phyllis Lowery, was a Canadian competition
swimmer and
freestyle specialist. At the
1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, she was a member of the Canadian relay team that finished fourth in the
women's 4×100-metre freestyle relay. In the
100-metre freestyle, she advanced to the semifinals of the event before being eliminated.
In the 1934
British Empire Games in London, she won gold medals in the 100-yard and 440-yard freestyle events and in two relays. Four years later, at the 1938 Empire Games in Sydney, she won her fifth gold medal in the 4×110-yard freestyle relay.
Early life
Dewar was born on March 5, 1916, in
Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javian ...
,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...
. She began swimming during her early childhood.
Career
In the mid-1930s, Dewar was the Canadian freestyle record holder in numerous freestyle events including the 100-yard and one-mile races.
In international competitions, she won four gold medals at the
1934 British Empire Games
The 1934 British Empire Games were the second edition of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games, held in England, from 4–11 August 1934. The host city was London, with the main venue at Wembley Park, although the track cycling events we ...
and her final gold at the
1938 British Empire Games
The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 yea ...
.
She also competed at the
1936 Summer Olympics but did not medal. After ending her swimming career in the late 1930s, Dewar served in the
Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service
The Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS or "Wrens") was an element of the Royal Canadian Navy that was active during the Second World War and post-war as part of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve until unification in 1968.http://esask.ureg ...
.
[
]
Awards and honors
In 1934, Dewar was the recipient of both the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award[ and ]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 ...
as the best Canadian female athlete of that year.[ Dewar was posthumously inducted into the ]Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and Nor ...
in 1967. Other posthumous inductions include Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame The Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame is an honour roll of the top Canadian Olympic athletes, teams, coaches, and builders (officials, administrators, and volunteers). It was established in 1949. Selections are made by a committee appointed by the Cana ...
in 1972.
Death
Dewar died on April 8, 1961, in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
.[
]
Personal life
Dewar was married with four children.[
]
References
*
* with picture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dewar, Phyllis
1916 births
1961 deaths
Canadian female freestyle swimmers
Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada
Olympic swimmers of Canada
Sportspeople from Moose Jaw
Swimmers at the 1934 British Empire Games
Swimmers at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 1938 British Empire Games
Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming
Medallists at the 1934 British Empire Games
Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games