Mark Tewksbury knows what it means to be a champion.

He is the star athlete who burst out of the water at the Barcelona Olympics following the come-from-behind victory in the 100 meter backstroke; an Olympic Champion with gold, silver and bronze medals from Olympic competitions in 1988 and 1992. Mark’s athletic career highlights include 21 national titles, seven world records, and a cover appearance on TIME Magazine. For his outstanding achievements Mark was named the Canadian Athlete of the Year in 1992 and inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1993 and then the Canadian Sports Hall in 1995.

Beyond the pool, Tewksbury has taken his leadership to the public sphere - traveling the world with the International Olympic Committee and taking a difficult stand against the IOC for athletes’ rights and ethics in sport.

Mark stood with tennis great Martina Navratilova for human rights at the 1st World Outgames in Montreal in 2006. For his active humanitarianism and ethical leadership, Mark was recognized by the University of Western Ontario with an honorary Doctorate of Laws. In 2008, Mark was invited on behalf of the Government of France to speak at the United Nations in New York City. Marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a Declaration was presented to the General Assembly to decriminalize homosexuality.

Today, Mark is perhaps best known for the many things he does outside of sport. A celebrated speaker on the international circuit, Mark carries his message of optimism and perseverance to millions of people around the world. Some highlights of the past year include speaking to Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, to Hewlett Packard in Budapest, and hosting the Dalai Lama’s Canadian appearance in Ottawa.
In addition to his role as regular contributor on CTV’s Canada AM, Mark’s involvement in prime time coverage of the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 received critical acclaim. Mark’s hosted such popular programs as Discovery Channel’s How It’s Made and the National Film Board’s series, Miracle Body. He’s authored three books and remains a popular media commentator.

His latest book, The Great Traits of Champions, co-authored with Debbie Muir, is the basis of a special eight-part series, Top of Your Game, on CBC Newsworld. The series, beginning in March 2009, offers practical ways to move forward in this challenging economic climate.