SUSAN SLOAN KELSEY was born in Stettler, and joined the swim team when the Centennial Pool opened in 1967. "I was not an accomplished swimmer, but our coach Larry Nielson was a stroke technician . . . I enjoyed swimming and made my first national competition at the age of 15." Susan took most of her grade school education in Stettler, finishing at Wm. E. Hay Composite High School.

In 1975, at the start of her Grade 12 year, Susan moved to Vancouver to train for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. At the Olympic trials she set Canadian and Commonwealth records in the 100 metre butterfly, thus earning her spot on the team and on the 4 x 100 medley relay team that won Canada's first bronze medal of the games.

In September 1976, Susan accepted a full scholarship to Arizona State University, where the women's team won the collegiate title for the first two years.

Each summer, Susan returned to compete for Canada at the international level. This included the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton in 1978, the World Championships in West Berlin the same year, and the Pan Pacific Games in Puerto Rico in 1979. She prepared for the 1980 Olympic games with the National Team, but political unrest led to Canada's boycott of the Games. In 1982, with a B.Sc. in Physical Education completed, Susan entered law school at the University of British Columbia, graduating on the Dean's List in 1986.

It was while articling with Vancouver's largest law firm that she met her future husband, Chris, also articling. Three years later, the couple moved to Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island, where they currently reside with their two sons, John and Mark.

"Life continues to be fun and rewarding." Susan is active in numerous school and community activities as a volunteer, while taking a breather from her law career. "The skills I learned as a competitive swimmer - perseverance, goal setting, prioritizing, and time management, to name but a few, have assisted me in all areas of my life."