Bio
About Stefan
Stefan started swimming as a baby when his mother enrolled him to a swim class for infants and their mothers. Growing up, Stefan was never far from the water as he continued to develop himself as a talented age-group swimmer. He spent his high school career swimming for the Scarlet Aquatic Club under Brian Brown and Tom Speedling.
In 2003 Stefan graduated from Princeton Day School and accepted an athletic scholarship to swim at the University of Virginia under coach Mark Bernardino. Stefan chose the University of Virginia because of its excellent swimming and academic reputation. Over the course of his career at Virginia, he earned nine All-ACC honors and was a ten-time NCAA All-American. Stefan graduated from Virginia in 2007 and moved to Victoria, British Colombia to swim for Randy Bennett and Island Swimming.
During the summer of 2007, Stefan competed for Canada at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he won his first international medal in the 4 x 200 freestyle relay. Stefan went into the Olympic year determined to make the Canadian Olympic team in the 200 meter butterfly; however, a tough fourth place finish cost him a spot on the team. He came back in the 2008-2009 season determined to regain his spot as the top butterflyer in Canada. The hard work and dedication paid off in a berth to the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy. In Rome, Stefan broke the long course Canadian record in the 200 meter butterfly with a time of 1:57.43.
Following the World Championships, Team Canada traveled to Leeds, England to race the British national team in a short course grand prix meet. Stefan and his teammates in the 4 x 200 relay set a new world record time of 6:51.08, overturning the world record held by the Australian team. While at the British Grand Prix, Stefan also broke the Canadian record held by former Virginia Cavalier, Shamek Pietucha, in the 200 butterfly.
Stefan followed up the 2009 season with a very successful 2010 season starting by making the Pan Pac championship team after winning gold in the summer nationals. Stefan broke his own Canadian record in the 200 fly at the 2010 Pan Pacific championships in Irvine, California, finishing eighth in a very accomplished field including Michael Phelps. This performance qualified him for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India in October 2010. At this meet he bettered his Canadian record once again, winning a bronze medal in the 200 fly, one of only three Canadian men to win a medal at these competitive world games. Stefan was also a member of all three Canadian men’s relay teams, in addition to making the finals of the 100 fly and 200 free.
Stefan is now preparing for the 2011 world championships in Shanghai, China, which serve as another milestone on the way to the 2012 Olympics.
