From Local Lanes to Global Games: Jesse Canney’s Swimming Success
Shown here with both his parents after winning Sport New Brunswick’s Male Athlete of the Year award in 2019, Jesse Canney is a highly decorated swimmer who has competed in the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, as well as the nation-wide Canada Games and the Canadian Paralympics in their categories for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
Born with autism, Jesse first became verbal at six years old, and his mother Pam credits his growth with a combination of extensive ABA therapy, and the social environment provided by Special Olympics. Registered in 2007 when he was 11 years old, Jesse has been an athlete with Special Olympics New Brunswick for almost two decades. Having won three gold medals in Berlin, Jesse hopes to do well at the upcoming Special Olympics Canada Summer Games Medicine Hat 2026 in August.
A huge ally during Jesse’s childhood—and now a close family friend—Phyllis Humble was assigned to him in school as his autism support worker. While Pam had enrolled Jesse in private swimming lessons, Phyllis suggested he join a Special Olympics team, with Jesse quickly joining a local practice that starts at 8:30pm on Monday nights. Pam said they had a great first impression, with the team’s athletes and coaches being very welcoming of Jesse.
He had his first provincial competitions a couple years after, he was hooked after that.
Pam said, recalling that he won a few gold and silver medals. Jesse has since competed in national-level swimming competitions outside of Special Olympics, even though he also still swims with Special Olympics as well. He swims in Canadian Paralympic events and also swam in the last three Canada Summer Games, in categories that both competitions have specifically for swimmers with intellectual disabilities. In addition to his Special Olympics team, Jesse also trains eight times a week with the Fredericton Aquanauts Swim Team on their high performance division, alongside swimmers who do not have disabilities. In 2019, his accomplishments were recognized by Sport New Brunswick’s annual award ceremony.
It was a great honour being selected as the 2019 Male athlete of the Year. I was the first Special Olympics athlete to ever be selected for the award.
Jesse also went to the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023 in Berlin. Jesse said that one of his biggest motivations to swim in Special Olympics is being able to travel new places and meet new people.
“I had a great experience in Berlin and met a lot of new people,” he added, “Brandenburg Gate was really cool. I have a lot of really great medals from Berlin. I got gold in 100 metre breaststroke, 100 metre butterfly, and the Canadian relay team. My relay teammates were also really happy to win a gold medal!”
Diagnosed with severe, non-verbal autism from a young age, Jesse didn’t start talking until he was six years old. Pam credits an extensive amount of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy for giving him the amount of freedoms he currently has, with both Jesse and the people closest to him having worked very hard to earn those freedoms.
“Jesse has challenges having autism,” Pam continued, “communication and socialization being big ones. He’s come a long way over the years with ABA therapy.” She also said that Special Olympics has helped Jesse redirect his energy in a healthy way, while he used to spend more time expressing autistic symptoms such as stimming, hand flapping, and echolalia.
I didn’t talk until I was 6 years old and I used pictures to communicate. I had a lot of behaviours and quirks from my autism when I was younger, like running away, hand flapping, and rigid routines. But with many hours of ABA therapy, swimming, and keeping very busy it has helped me overcome these.
