Helen Vanderburg

Helen Vanderburg is a former Canadian synchronized swimmer and world champion.

Career

Vanderburg began synchronized swimming in 1969 at age eleven. From 1971 to 1973, she was a member of junior national championship teams, and in 1973 she captured the junior Canadian solo and duet championships. In 1977, Vanderburg joined the senior ranks, winning the solo and duet competition with partner, Michelle Calkins at the Canadian Aquatic Championships, the first of three years that she won both events. Vanderburg was the first non-American to win the World Championship at both the Solo and Duet events, doing so at the 1978 World Aquatic Championships in West Berlin. After Calkins' retirement in 1978, Vanderburg partnered with Kelly Kryczka and they went on to win gold in the duet, at the 1979 Pan American Games, Vanderburg also won gold in the solo event. Vanderburg retired from competition in 1979.

1979

1978

1977

1973

Vanderburg was awarded the Velma Springstead Trophy in 1979 as Canada's outstanding female athlete of the year Vanderburg was elected to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. She was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, and in 1985, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.