Brian David Hill (born 29 December 1982) is a S13

Canadian Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...

para-swimmer who has competed in the

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

Summer Paralympics and the

2007 Parapan American Games The 2007 Parapan American Games, officially the III Parapan American Games, were a major international multi-sport event for Disabled sports, athletes with disabilities, celebrated in the tradition of the Parapan American Games as governed by the ...

. He had won five gold medals, three silver medals and 3 bronze medals in his international career. Hill started swimming as a child and competitive swimming at the age of nine. He has won the British Columbia Blind Sports Award and

Athlete of the Year Athlete of the Year is an award given by various sports organizations for the athlete whom they have determined to be deserving of such recognition. Definition of "athlete" *In many nations, an "athlete" primarily refers to someone who participa ...

Award.

Personal life

Hill was born on 29 December 1982 in

Duncan, British Columbia Duncan is a city on southern Vancouver Island in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is the smallest city in Canada by area. It was incorporated as a city in 1912. Location The city is about 45 kilometres from b ...

with a genetic retinal disorder which results in only ten percent vision. Since the 2004 Summer Paralympics, he has resided in Montreal, Quebec. During his childhood, Hill's parents dug a 17-metre pool for him to swim in. "It was the first sport where I was able to train and compete with other kids at an equal level," he says. He started competitive swimming at the age of nine. Hill's girlfriend

Karine Thomas Karine Thomas (born January 14, 1989) was a Canadian synchronized swimmer. Her parents were on the national water-polo team. Her grandmother, Esther Blais-Valin, was a synchronized swimmer in the 1940s and 50s. Career Thomas began synchronized ...

is a member in Canada's Olympic synchronized swimming team. After he retires, he wants to have a culinary career.

Career

At the age of 17, Hill participated in six events at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in

Sydney, Australia Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean ...

. He won silver in the men's 100 metre butterfly in 1:02.79, finished fourth in the 100 metre backstroke in 1:10.39, sixth in the 50 metre freestyle in 27.11, eighth in the

100 metre freestyle The 100 metre freestyle is often considered to be the highlight (Blue Ribbon event) of the sport of swimming, like 100 metres in the sport of Athletics, symbolizing the pinnacle of speed and athleticism in swimming competitions. The first swimm ...

in 59.23, eighth in the 400 metre freestyle in 4:54.96 and tenth in the 200 metre individual medley in 2:35.39. Looking back in 2008 on his results, Brian said, "Sydney Games were special because it was my first Paralympic Games and everything. The atmosphere, crowds and facilities were amazing." At the

2004 Summer Paralympics The 2004 Summer Paralympics (), the 12th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Athens, Greece, from 17 to 28 September ...

, Hill won bronze in the 100 metre backstroke in 1:06.97, bronze in the 400 metre freestyle in 4:39.52, finished equal fourth in the 100 metre butterfly in 1:03.90, fifth in the

in 59.32, fifth in the 200 metre individual medley in 2:31.07 and 14th in the 50 metre freestyle in 28.09. About the 2004 Paralympics in Greece, Brian said in 2008 that he "was really able to feel the history of the Olympics". At the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, were an International sport, international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Melbourne ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Hill finished ninth in the 50 metre EAD freestyle in 26.68 and ninth in the 100 metre EAD freestyle in 59.58. Hill won five medals at the 2007 Parapan American Games including three golds and two silvers. He won gold in 100 metre butterfly where he got a time of 1:00.52. He had tied the world record time with Canadian para-swimmer Walter Wu. He had also won another two golds and two silvers. He says "I'm pretty happy with the result overall. Technically it was very good." Before going to Beijing for his third Paralympic Games, Hill's preparation involved swimming about 120 kilometres in two weeks. Hill said, "I completed about eight to nine workouts a week and spent around 18 to 20 hours per week in the pool,". At the 2008 Summer Paralympics, Hill finished fifth in the 100 metre backstroke in 1:05.52, 12th in the 100 metre butterfly in 1:03.25, 15th in the

in 59.80 and 17th in the 50 metre freestyle in 26.84. At the

2009 IPC Swimming World Championships 25 m The 2009 IPC Swimming World Championships 25 m were held from 29 November – 5 December in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was the first ever world-level short course paralympic swimming competition organised by the International Paralympic Committee ...

in Rio, Hill won gold in the 100 metre backstroke in a new record time of 59.30, gold in the 100 metre butterfly in a new record time of 57.04 and bronze in the 100 metre freestyle in 54.66. At the

2010 IPC Swimming World Championships The 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships was the sixth edition of the IPC Swimming World Championships, an international swimming competition, the biggest meet for athletes with a disability since the 2008 Summer Paralympics. It was held in Eind ...

, Hill finished fifth in the 100 metre backstroke in 1:04.65. At the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international Multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Sum ...

, Hill finished seventh in the 100 metre backstroke in 1:04.97 and equal eighth in the heats 100 metre butterfly with Australia's

Sean Russo Sean Russo (born 5 April 1991) is an Australian swimmer. He represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 2012 London and 2016 Summer Paralympics, 2016 Rio Paralympics. Personal Russo was born on 5 April 1991 and has retinitis pigment ...

in 1:01.61. In the swim-off, Russo defeated Hill with each posting times of 1:01.24 and 1:02.72 respectively.

Achievements

In 2002, Hill won the Sport British Columbia Athlete of the Year award in the athletes with a disability category. He won again in the next year. In 2003, Hill was awarded the Blind Sports award from the British Columbia Blind Sports and Recreation Association (BCBSRA).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Brian 1982 births Living people Sportspeople from Duncan, British Columbia Canadian male freestyle swimmers Canadian male backstroke swimmers Canadian male butterfly swimmers Canadian male medley swimmers Paralympic swimmers for Canada Paralympic silver medalists for Canada Paralympic bronze medalists for Canada Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Commonwealth Games competitors for Canada Swimmers at the 2006 Commonwealth Games World record holders in paralympic swimming Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships Paralympic medalists in swimming S13-classified para swimmers 21st-century Canadian sportsmen Medalists at the 2007 Parapan American Games Parapan American Games medalists in swimming Parapan American Games gold medalists for Canada Parapan American Games silver medalists for Canada