INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: 8 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 16 Medals (10 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze); 2008 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1 Gold (duet); 2004 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3 Gold (duet, trio, team); 2002 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3 Gold (duet, trio, team), 1 Silver (solo); 2000 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 Gold (duet, trio); 1998 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 Silver (duet, solo); 1996 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1 Gold (duet); 1994 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2 Silver (duet, trio); 1992 FINA MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1 Bronze (duet); Numerous CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS in all the years she swam.
Joyce Corner had always been involved in aquatics. Old newspaper articles show her competing in long distance swims across Toronto Harbor to Centre Island and Hanlan’s Point at eight and nine years of age as a member of Gus Ryder’s Lakeshore Swimming Cub.
In her teens, Corner was a member of the Toronto Ornamental Swim Club, later becoming the Toronto Synchronized Swimming Club, and by 1947, she had achieved a high level of expertise and competed in the National Synchronized Swimming Championships in Winnipeg.
In 1969 Corner responded to an ad looking for coaches for a new synchronized swimming program that was beginning in Mississauga, Ontario. Once hired, she was given just one lane for the program while also sharing the pool with a Red Cross course. Over the years, enthusiasm for the group grew. Years went by, and Corner coached and was a competitor; she was both the coach and a swimmer.
In 1980, Joyce formed the Masters Division of the Kawartha’s Trent Synchro Club and in 1985, the Masters Team attended the World Masters Games in Etobicoke and placed third. In 1989, 10 Masters attended the World Masters Games in Arhus, Denmark, coming home with 10 gold, 2 silvers, and one bronze medal, a stunning achievement. Joyce also competed in this competition and won two individual gold medals.
Corner attended her first FINA World Championships in 1992 in Indianapolis, where she competed for her Kawartha Trent Synchro Club. They came away with a bronze medal in the trio 65+ event. Four years later, Corner walked away with her first World title in the duet. She continued attending Masters World Championships, mostly bringing home gold medals. In all, she won ten World Championship gold, five silver, and one bronze.
It was about the mid-2000s when Corner found another pool with more space and started a new club, the New Wave Synchro Masters, where she competed as a member in her last two appearances at Worlds in 2004 and 2008.
Joyce has been involved in just about all areas of synchronized swimming. She was on the Canadian Synchronized Swimming Committee for countless years and represented Canada in Masters FINA meets when present. She was the Canadian representative to the FINA Masters Synchronized Swimming Committee which helped develop the requirements when FINA transitioned from a figure competition to a technical program.
She was a FINA-rated “A” international judge, and she has judged Pan American Games, World Aquatics Championships, the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, as well as many other events in Canada and around the world. She has been honored with many awards, including the Civic Sports Award three times, the Peterborough Sports Woman of the Year in 1981, CASSA Board of Directors Honor Award, Ontario ASSA Recognition for Outstanding Volunteer Service Award, and Masters Delegate to the World Championships in Australia in 1981.
Joyce Corner will always be remembered for all her many contributions to Masters Synchronized Swimming as an athlete, judge, official, administrator, coach, lecturer, and much, much more.