National Teams

Senior National Team

Michelle Toro

  • Age 33
  • Height 175.26 cm / 5 ftin
  • Club High Performance Centre - Ontario
  • Coach Ben Titley
  • Hometown Toronto, ON
  • Residence Toronto, ON
  • Event 50 FR, 100 FR

Michelle’s Bio

  • At the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Toro finished 10th in the 50-m freestyle with a personal best time.
  • At the 2017 Canadian Swimming Trials in Victoria, Toro (née Williams) qualified for her second FINA World Championships with a gold medal performance in the 50-m freestyle. She added a bronze medal in the 100-m freestyle, in a personal best time.
  • At the 13th FINA World Swimming Championships (25-m) in Windsor, Ont. Williams individual made the semifinals of the 50-m freestyle where she finished 10th with a personal best time of 24.04. She was also a member of five relays.
  • At the same competition, Williams brought home two relay medals including a gold and silver. Williams was a member of the 4×50-m freestyle relay that earned a gold medal and set a new Canadian record. She was also a member of the 4×50-m mixed freestyle relay that won a bronze medal along with setting a new Canadian record. Other relays that she was a member of was the 4×100-m freestyle relay (DQ), the 4×50-m medley relay (4th) and the 4×50-m mixed medley relay (5th).
  • At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Williams earned herself a bronze medal in the 4×100-m freestyle relay as she took part in the morning session. She also swam in the 50-m freestyle where she finished in 18th.
  • At the 2016 Canadian Olympic & Para-Swimming Trials, Williams finished 4th in the 100-m freestyle, which earned her an Olympic berth. She also finished second in the 50-m freestyle.
  • At the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, Williams competed in the 50-m and 100-m freestyle events where she finished sixth and fourth. She also took part in the gold medal 4×100-m freestyle relay that set a Pan Am and Canadian record.
  • At the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, Williams finished 15thin the 50-m freestyle and 20th in the 100-m freestyle. In Kazan, Williams – along with Chantal Van Landeghem, Katerine Savard and Sandrine Mainville – finished fifth in the 4×100-m freestyle.
  • At the 2014 Commonwealth Games she helped Canada to bronze in both the 4×100-m medley relay and 4×100-m freestyle. At the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships she was eighth in the 50-m freestyle and part of the fourth- place 4×100-m freestyle relay.
  • She graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science from Ohio State University, where she set multiple team records.
  • Born in Pretoria, South Africa, she speaks Afrikaans and English, and enjoys visiting her relatives in Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa.
  • She lists her older sister Lydia Williams, a former national team gymnast, as her biggest influence.
  • Inspirational quote: “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho
  • Has a ritual of bringing something gold to every swim meet.
Quick Facts
  • Twitter: @michellewill5
  • Instagram: @michelle_will
  • Personal Web Page: https://notesbymichelle.wordpress.com/
  • Favourite Movie: The Proposal, Zoolander, Pride and Prejudice
  • Favourite Book: The Martian
  • Favourite TV Show: Suits, The Office
  • Favourite Actor/Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
  • Favourite Restaurant: Swiss Chalet
  • Favourite Place to visit: Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
  • Pre-race meal: Oatmeal with dried cranberries
  • Guilty Pleasure: Cheesecake
  • Quote: “It’s the possibility of making a dream come true that makes life interesting.” Paulo Coelho

Michelle’s Personal Bests

Not all features are currently implemented. Visit the old rankings system to access missing features.