ORO-MEDONTE, Ontario — Wayne Dowswell is a beloved coach, team builder and mentor. Wayne started teaching in 1965 after obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan where he wrestled on the Varsity Team. Although Wayne sometimes taught biology and history classes, his heart lay in physical education, specifically wrestling and Olympic-style weightlifting.

Mr. Dowswell was definitely experienced in Olympic-style weightlifting, as he had been doing it since he was 12 years old. He started out lifting weights in his parents’ basement in Sarnia, ON. He was inspired by his family and friends; those who guided him and those who joined him in the basement to lift.

Wayne met his wife Alice in 1966 and they have now been married for 56 years. Alice had a career as a Lab Technologist at Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Orillia. The couple have three children: Alison, Lynn and Miles. Miles (the youngest) went on to follow in his father’s footsteps as a weightlifter and a wrestler himself. There are also 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren to brag about!

When Wayne and Alice moved to the Orillia area, Wayne started building his legacy. Along with teaching at Park Street Collegiate (now called Orillia Secondary School), he introduced wrestling and Olympic-style weightlifting to the school’s gym programs. He started a wrestling team at Park Street, and created for the elementary system a feeder program to the high school system for these young athletes. He also started the Orillia Wrestling Club (now Mariposa Wrestling Club) in 1970. It is still operating to this day, now being run and coached by many of Wayne’s past wrestlers. Back in the early days, wrestling was only for the boys; now times have changed and the club is host to many successful female wrestlers as well. Wayne even led his home school (Park Street) to 19 consecutive wins in the city wrestling championships against ODCVI (Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute). Mr. D (as his students called him) also ran the summer Canada Wrestling Camp at the Ontario Educational Leadership Camp location. Some of the coaches there were varsity level and internationally acclaimed.

Mr. D coached not only high school but also at the provincial level. He had a weightlifting club under the umbrella of the Ontario Weightlifting Association. He led many lifters to provincial and national championships. To have 4 of his students make up half of the 8 members of the 1999 Ontario Weightlifting Team was quite an accomplishment.

Over the course of Wayne Dowswell’s career he coached many weightlifters who went on to compete at the Masters Level (age 35+). Wayne isn’t just a legendary coach; he is a champion himself. He is an 8-time Olympic-Style Weightlifting Masters Level Canadian Champion. He was still competing at the Masters Level at age 55.

One of Wayne’s proudest moments as a coach was accompanying his son Miles to Cephalonia, Greece in 2008 where Miles competed in the World Masters Weightlifting Competition, at age 37.  Miles won the gold in his weight class at this international competition. It was definitely a proud father moment!

As a coach, Wayne focused on keeping the students positive. He always had inspirational affirmations posted around the walls and he would be sure to post any and all accomplishments that his students reached. It was a common occurrence for Mr. D to submit photos and write-ups about his students’ achievements to the local newspaper. He was always sure to show the students how proud of them he was and how their hard work had paid off. A few of his favourite sayings were: “Your best is all you can deliver so strive for that and be content with the results,” “Failure to plan is a plan to fail” and “Champions are made not born”.

Wayne and Alice have a barn on their property in Oro where they have lived for 43 years. Wayne created a weightlifting facility in that barn, and named it the “Muscle Barn” where students would come to train. Wayne even encouraged neighbours to come join the fitness journey there. After years of thriving, sadly the Muscle Barn is no more.

Wayne lived, breathed and dreamed coaching. He has left his stamp on everyone who had the chance to be coached by him. He was recently inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame, which is a well-earned title and can be attested to by so many of his past student athletes (see below). Congratulations Wayne Dowswell on a lifelong passion that has nurtured a love for the sport for generations to come.

Quotes 

“Under Mr. D’s coaching I was able to be a member of the provincial weightlifting team for 15 years, a member of the national team for 5 years, and I broke 13 provincial records. He preached proper technique and was a great mentor.” –  K.S.

“I have used the lessons and examples from Wayne’s mentoring over those 4 short years often in my daily life and I know he has had the same impact on countless young people who were lucky enough to be involved with him.” – G. W.

“I was inducted into the Penetang Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the letters of support read of dedication, strong work ethic, sacrifice, being encouraging & passionate…all instilled in me by my high school coach, Wayne Dowswell. He not only changed my life but has changed the life of the athletes I have coached, and the athletes they will go on to coach.” -K.S.

“A good coach can impart a love for a sport and help you succeed at it. A great coach teaches discipline, work ethic, perseverance, performance under pressure, time management, dedication, humility, sportsmanship, and confidence. It is in these ways that Mr. D impacted me most and helped to form who I am today.”   -T.L.

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