Jonathan Dieleman

At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Jonathan Dieleman was focused on the 50-m breaststroke. He made it to the finals in the event where he finished 5th in Canadian record time.

Dieleman made a spectacular international debut at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games with a silver medal in the 50-m breaststroke. That performance was a Canadian record, which he went on to better twice in early 2016. He dedicated his record performance at the 2016 Para-swimming team trials to his recently deceased grandfather.

The oldest of six boys, Dieleman grew up on a farm, was involved in 4-H and has played guitar since he was 13. A rodeo fan, he rode bareback and bulls before breaking his back in a dirt biking accident in 2010. Dieleman was four years old when he first learned to swim in a lake near his home. He returned to the pool about six months after his accident. Besides swimming, Dieleman also competes in para-triathlon.