Helen Stewart

Helen Moncrieff Stewart Hunt (born 1938) is a Canadian former swimmer from Vancouver, formerly known as Helen Stewart during her early swimming career, who competed for Vancouver's Canadian Dolphin Swim Club and represented Canada at the 1956 Olympics. She played Canadian Championship volleyball through 1968. By age 11, Helen began swimming with the Vancouver Area Swim Club (VASC) around 1949 under Head Coach Percy Norman, and Assistant Coach Howard Firby. Widely recognized for his coaching accomplishments, Norman was a Canadian Coach for both the 1932, and 1936 Canadian Olympic team. In her earliest swimming development, Norman focused on Helen's basic stroke mechanics, then breathing, then helped her manage a balanced diet. Firby became Head Coach of VASC in 1956 when Norman retired. By 18, Helen swam for Hall of Fame Coach Howard Firby as one of the original seven members of the Canadian Dolphin Swim Club, which Firby founded with Helen's father William in 1956. Helen's younger sister Mary Beth, a future Canadian Olympian in swimming, was also one of the original members. Soon to be a dominant program, between 1956-1967, Firby's Vancouver Canadian Dolphin team won six Canadian National team titles, with the exception of the year 1965.

In October, 1956, Helen set an unofficial World Record in the 100-yard freestyle of 57.6 seconds. Helen attended Lord Byng High School in Vancouver, graduating around the Spring of 1956. The next year, at the 1955 Pan American Games, she won a gold medal and two silver medals.

In 1956 at the U.S. Nationals, Helen captured silver in the 100m freestyle, and swimming the 100-yard freestyle, broke the standing world record.

Post-swimming pursuits After her marriage and the 1959 Pan Americans, Helen retired from swimming competition and for three years coached for her former teams, the Vancouver Amateur Swim Club and the Canadian Dolphins in Vancouver. In the Spring of 1958, Helen had completed teacher training at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She would serve as a teacher and swim coach.

Personal She is the sister of former two time Canadian swimming Olympian Mary Stewart Hunt. Olympic snowboarder and politician Alexa Loo is her niece.

Honors Most notably, Helen received the Beatrice Pines Trophy, given to the top Canadian woman swim competitor, successively from 1955-57.