Growing up, swimming and family always went hand-in-hand in Walter Wu’s household.

Both Walter and his sister Donna began swimming from a young age and progressed to elite levels. Countless weekends were spent together on swimming road trips to meets around BC and Washington State. Many meals and homework assignments were completed on the drive to or from practices. Walter’s parents even had a daily routine of always going to the local pool at 6am even if Walter and Donna weren’t swimming. It was a social thing. Like being in the pool itself, they were all in, fully immersed in swimming. Better than anything else it helps explain how the path was set early for Walter as he went on to become one of Canada’s most decorated Paralympic athletes of all time.

Born in Vancouver, Walter grew up in Richmond. Despite his vision impairment (optic nerve dysfunction and colour blindness) he also played soccer and participated in judo before choosing to focus on swimming. Swimming for the Richmond Aquanauts and later the Canadian Dolphins in Vancouver, Walter won races from a young age. For much of his career he swam under the direction of Richmond Rapids coach Craig McCord. Walter and his sister were so dedicated, swimming often came before school. They could miss school if they were sick, but they didn’t dare miss a workout.

It wasn’t long before both Walter and Donna made the Canadian national team; Walter first made it in 1990 and represented Canada at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona, while Donna competed at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and world championships.

Walter went on to swim for Canada at three more Paralympic Games: Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004. In total he won 14 career Paralympic medals—eight gold, four silver, and two bronze—the sixth most among all Canadian Paralympic athletes all time. All were individual events at various freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and individual medley distances. Perhaps the most memorable—and meaningful considering how much they sacrificed for him and his swimming—was Walter’s final Paralympic gold medal in the 400m freestyle S13 at the 2004 Paralympics with both his parents watching in the Athens stands.

Walter was even more successful at the three world championships at which he competed. Collectively, at two IPC Swimming World Championships (Malta 1994, Argentina 2002) and the 1998 IBSA World Championships in Madrid, Walter won a remarkable 15 gold medals and one silver.

In addition to breaking several world and Paralympic records during his career, over twenty years after retiring from competition Walter still holds three Canadian national records today.

Written and researched by Jason Beck, Curator of the BC Sports Hall of Fame.