Pamela Rai

Pamela Leila Rai is a former freestyle and butterfly swimmer who competed for the University of Victoria, and represented Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, capturing a bronze medal and setting a new Canadian record in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay. She became not only the first Canadian Olympic medalist of Indian descent, but the first woman of Indian ancestry to win an Olympic medal. A former Canadian record holder in several events, Rai successfully represented Canada through 1986 at international meets including the Pan American and Commonwealth games. After her time as a swimming competitor, she served as a swim coach, and high school English, Social Justice, Special Ed. and Math teacher in Nanaimo, BC, Canada.