At only 20 years old, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns swimmer Zack McAllister received one of Canada's highest honours recently when he was presented with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his accomplishments representing Canada on the international swimming stage.

Created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, this commemorative medal serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

McAllister joined the ‘Horns swimming program in January of 2012 after graduating from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. He advanced through the Lethbridge Amateur Swim Club (LASC), and represented Canada at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

“Zack often downplays the significance of his accomplishments,” says Pronghorns head swim coach Peter Schori. “This recognition is a great opportunity for him to see how proud the community is of his world class performances and the inspiration he offers to other athletes and non-athletes.”

In London, McAllister’s best finish was sixth place in the 400-metre individual medley, and he put together a pair of exceptional performances enroute to that finish. McAllister knocked six seconds of his then personal best time to qualify for the finals and in the finals he swam another four seconds faster to finish sixth.

McAllister has also represented Canada at the Para Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mex. in fall 2011, and after enrolling at the University of Lethbridge in January 2012, attended meets in Los Angeles, Colorado and Sheffield, England. McAllister’s disability is a condition by which he has too many bones in his limbs, thereby restricting growth and range of motion in both his arms and legs.