Silver Stars: Michelle Cameron Coulter

Honouring the first Albertan to win an Olympic gold medal

Michelle Cameron Coulter
Photo: Cole Grey

If you look on the masthead of this magazine you will see this is Volume 25, Issue 1 of IMPACT Magazine. IMPACT celebrates its Silver Anniversary in September 2016 and in each of the next six issues until that anniversary we are honouring some stars from our history. Today we recognize Michelle Cameron Coulter.

The first Albertan to win an Olympic gold medal, Michelle and Carolyn Waldo were 1988 champions in duet synchronized swimming in Seoul, Korea. Michelle, Carolyn and gold medal boxer Lennox Lewis helped blunt the blow of the Ben Johnson scandal at those Games.

Since then she has evolved through a career as entrepreneur, philanthropist, wife of fellow Olympian Al Coulter and mom to four children. Her company, Gold Medal Inspirations, is, like IMPACT, celebrating 25 years in business, coaching, guiding and mentoring entrepreneurs to new heights. She even counts her parents among her clients, creators of a line of adaptive clothing for people with disabilities.

Michelle has a huge heart for her community and gives back through her involvement in many charities and boards. She was co-chair of Calgary’s United Way Campaign, has served 25 years as honorary director of Special Olympics, been on the Board of Governors at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and hosted The Michelle Cameron Invitational synchro swim meet for 25 years.

She is also releasing a new book this year: Sink Swim or Float – Embracing the Courage to Jump in and make Your Splash in Life.

Michelle appeared on the cover of IMPACT in 1995.