Breaking a decades-old world record is impressive. Setting a brand-new one is remarkable.
Doing both in a single weekend? ThatÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ next level.
Para-swimmer Riley Martin of Peachland, a member of the Penticton-based KISU Swim Club, achieved just that at the 2025 Speedo Canadian Short Course (25-metre pool) Championships held recently in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
And if that wasn’t enough, he also added nine Americas records (covering North and South America) and three Canadian records to his growing résumé at the national meet.
“I think we’re going to be reflecting on that meet for a long, long time,” said Martin, 33, who uses a wheelchair due to a 2009 motorcycle crash. “Breaking the world record was an incredible feeling. Breaking records isn’t the main motivator, but it sure is nice. ItÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ pretty wild how far we’ve come.”
A former key player on the Canada Games wheelchair basketball team, Martin says what drives him is simple: “The challenge of overcoming, and forgetting that I can’t.”
Competing in the SM4 para-swimming category, Martin shattered a world record in the 200-metre backstroke, clocking in at just over four minutes and 37 seconds—nearly a full minute faster than the previous best.
His second world record came in the 75-metre individual medley, completed in just over a minute and 32 seconds.
“No one had done it before; itÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ a super obscure event, so I was setting a benchmark,” he explained. “That was my fastest individual medley pace ever, so we’re hopeful it’ll stick around for quite a while.”
His haul of Americas records included the 200-metre breaststroke, 75- and 100-metre individual medleys, three freestyle distances, two in backstroke, and the 50-metre butterfly.
Among his national achievements, Martin broke his own Canadian record in the 100-metre individual medley, smashed a 30-year-old mark in the 100-metre breaststroke, and rewrote the record books in the 50-metre backstroke.
Originally from Oliver, Martin joined KISU as a rookie in 2022 and quickly established himself as a rising star. In his first year, he set a national para-swimming record and became the first athlete in his classification to complete the grueling 400-metre individual medley.
But for Martin, swimming is about much more than medals and records.
“Swimming is still the best feeling for my disabled body,” he said. “Most of the time, being a high-level paraplegic, I deal with a lot of spasms or just rough days. But by the time I get out of the water, I’m always glad I came.”
KISU coach Naomi Antler, whoÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ worked with Martin since he joined the club, says his success comes down to his drive and discipline.
“Riley is just really motivated to set records and make his mark on the sport,” said Antler, who predicted early on that his first record would be the start of many. “Working with him has been amazing. HeÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ super easy to coach, and I think we complement each other really well.
“From the beginning, we both had to learn about para-swimming together—the logistics, the nutrition, hydration, recovery—itÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ all been a journey. What we saw at this meet is really the culmination of years of learning and fine-tuning.”
Martin credits AntlerÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ commitment to his development as a cornerstone of his rapid rise.
With the championship now behind him, MartinÎÚŃ»´«Ă˝ season has come to a close. A well-earned break is ahead—but he won’t soon forget his final meet of the year.