Penny Oleksiak (Olympian): How to be Unapologetic About Your Success and Ambition

Bold by Veuve Clicquot: https://bit.ly/30rmbIlBay Street Bull's 2021 Women of the Year: https://baystbull.com/women-of-the-year-2021/See photos from Penny Oleksiak's Cover Shoot: https://baystbull.com/women-of-the-year-2021-penny-oleksiak/At just 21 years old, Toronto-born swimmer Penny Oleksiak has already been crowned as Canada’s most decorated Olympian with seven medals to her name. Before her dominant display this past summer in Tokyo, Penny became the first Canadian to win four medals in the same Summer Games and the country’s youngest Olympic champion. If that weren’t enough, she closed out her Olympic debut by becoming the first athlete born in the 2000s to claim a medal in an individual event, further underscoring her status as a generational talent.Five years later, Penny returned to the Olympic stage to compete under the bright lights of the Tokyo Summer Games and, once again, represented Canada in spectacular fashion. By securing a silver and a pair of bronze medals, she immortalized herself as Canada’s most decorated Olympic athlete. But holding a reputation like hers comes with its own set of challenges. When you’re thrust onto a podium and heralded as one of the greatest athletes in the world, that can sometimes affect your mental health, as we’ve seen in other instances with athletes (notably, young female athletes) like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka. Despite these challenges, it’s undeniable that Penny (and her contemporaries) have all earned their success—and have every right to celebrate it without apology or validation. In today’s episode, Lance chats with Penny on the set of our very first Women of the Year issue about navigating the discomfort of high-pressure environments, her philosophy on victory, and what it means to own your ambition.