Coach, Mentor, Authentic Leader, Humanitarian. These are but a few words to describe legendary Canadian swimming coach Clifford Barry. Cliff passed away on August 21, 2021 peacefully surrounded by his family in Montreal after fighting courageously and intensely over the past several weeks.
Born in 1946, growing up in the east end of Montreal Cliff grew up with sports, a participant in competitive swimming in his early years later to transform into a world class water polo player for Canada competing at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. While training for the Olympics Cliff coached at the East End Boys and Girls Club in Montreal and after 1976 Olympics Cliff began his professional swim coaching career. Beginning in Guelph his career in Guelph he met and coached several swimmers, including a young Victor Davis. In 1980, Cliff started coaching in Waterloo. This is where an environment and culture for performance and personal development formed, as well some of Canada’s best world class swimming gained momentum.
From 1981 through to 1991 Cliff was either head coach or assistant coach to all the levels of Canadian international teams: Pam Am Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympic Games.
Cliff’s swimmers have won Gold medals in every major Games in the world.
Cliff has been recognized three times as Canadian Swimming Coach of the Year (1982, 1984, 1986), is a member of Swimming Canada’s Circle of Excellence, as well member of the Canadian Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Cliff was inducted into the Ontario Aquatics Hall of Fame in 1994 and has been nominated to the Canadian Water Polo Hall of Fame for its inaugural induction. He has also been inducted into the University of Concordia hall of fame, the University of Western Ontario Hall of fame and the Snowden YMHA hall of fame. He was also the Founder and Chairman of the Victor Davis Memorial Fund, which assists young Canadian swimmers to continue their training, education, and pursuit of excellence at the international level of competition..
Cliff was beyond a world class athlete and coach and he exemplified living life to the fullest.
Our condolences to his wife Susan and daughter Carling and to all the athletes, coaches and sport administrators who had the pleasure to share the deck with Cliff.