Beverly Holden (née McKnight) is one half of Canada's duet synchronized swimming team that won the bronze medal in the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City.[1] This was the first year that synchronized swimming was a medal event in the Pan Am Games, having been a demonstration event in Buenos Aires in 1951. McKnight and Diane Ferguson (née Baker) competed in numerous events including the British Empire & Commonwealth Games where it was also a demonstration sport. The duet won the Ontario Duet and Canadian Duet Championships in 1954. Originally coached by Jimmy Bishop at the Granite Club in Toronto, they moved to the Lakeshore Swimming Club after Bishop's death in 1952.

Beverly McKnight
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesSynchronized swimming
Medal record
Women's Synchronized Swimming
Representing  Canada
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 1955 Mexico City Duet

She married John Holden a month after winning the bronze medal, and retired shortly thereafter to raise a family in Toronto and Caledon, Ontario area. Beverly is also the grandmother of Jake Holden, Canadian Olympic Boardercross team member and Canadian Jr. Champion in both Boardercross and Judo. They were both inducted to the Caledon Walk of Fame October 3, 2015.[2][3][4][5]

References

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  1. ^ Marr, Danielle (20 July 2015). "First Canadian synchro medal winners at Pan Ams in 1955 see Canadian TO2015 duet team win gold | CaledonEnterprise.com". CaledonEnterprise.com. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Pan Am memories fresh for athlete six decades later". Therecord.com. 2015-05-15. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  3. ^ "Pan American Games - Swimming and Diving". Gbrathletics.com. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  4. ^ Bean, Dawn Pawson (4 March 2005). Synchronized Swimming: An American History - Dawn Pawson Bean. ISBN 9780786419487. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  5. ^ "Jake Holden". Official Canadian Olympic Team Website - Team Canada - 2014 Winter Olympics.