RIO DE JANEIRO — Normally, sixteen year olds are taught history. They don’t often make their own.

Penny Oleksiak, the teenager from Toronto’s east side, is changing all that and so much more at these Summer Olympic Games.

She has gone from little-known to kind-of-known to household name in the span of six frenetic days, bringing Canada’s first gold medal of the Olympic Games in both stunning and stirring fashion.

The 100 metre freestyle race was so close with American Simone Manuel, that when Oleksiak touched the wall of the pool to end, she didn’t know who had won. She waited almost 20 seconds before celebrating anything. The crowd waiting for an announcement.

Canada had waited 24 years for a swimming gold medal, so it could wait another 24 seconds to find out who had won gold.

And it wound up as a tie — the rare gold medal tie in these days of replay and advanced timekeeping — but no one is about to argue the result.

Not now. Not ever.

Oleksiak seemed so teenage-like in victory, not sure whether to celebrate or not, tightly smiling while the national anthem played, and it was only when she ran towards her family, her sister, Hayley bawling, hugging her sister, her mom and her big brother, the professional hockey player. 

That was her celebration. That was her personal fist pump, her lap with the flag.

And she has changed the world this way, not in a Michael Phelps kind of way, but in a quiet Canadian kind of way. She won bronze in a relay, then silver, then bronze again, and now gold. The first since Mark Tewksbury. The second swim gold medal of the past 31 years. 

Americans and Phelps win gold medals every day so they don’t seem so spectacular anymore. We are a nation that celebrates and embraces bronze. Mostly because gold seems unattainable.

For the swimmer who was supposed to make her mark four years from now in Tokyo, the future became the present this week — and gold became possible once again for Canadians.

The four medals won by Oleksiak — she has a shot at a fifth — are the most won by any Canadian athlete at a Summer Games in history. More than anyone ever. From a 16-year-old who hasn’t hit her full potential yet. This is a wondrous story, the kind of tale that brings the Olympics to life — and carries an entire Canadian team along with her.

Winter has Cindy Klassen, the speed skater from Winnipeg, who won five medals in Turin in 2006.

And summer now has Oleksiak, who was only expected to announce her arrival now, not put an exclamation mark at the end of her first sentence. 

There is something about this great champion that all the great champions seem to have. A sense of moment. A belief in themselves. A way to be best on the day it matters most.

She was seventh at the turn of the 100 metres Thursday night. No one comes back from that far behind. Only she did. Against all odds. Against a strong field. She had more than anyone else. More, really, than a competitive field so much more experienced and older than her.

The country may call her Penny. Her family calls her Penelope. What we all can call her now is a champion.

And let’s not forget she’s just 16. Swimming against the world record holder, Cate Campbell, of Australia, who is 24. Swimming against Sarah Sjostrom, the Swedish star, who is 23. Swimming against Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark, who is 28. The co-gold medal winner is the ripe old age of 20.

And she enters Grade 11 in the fall.

“This is so exciting for Canada,” said Kierra Smith, the breaststroker who swam Thursday night. “What she’s doing gives all of us a lot of confidence. It shows we belong on the podium. It’s possible for Canada to get there. It’s almost expected now.”

The country may call her Penny. Her family calls her Penelope. What we all can call her now is a champion.

Canada holds onto its Olympic heroes. You see Tewksbury around the Canadian team and Curt Harnett as chef de mission and Marnie McBean in roles.

This week changes Canada’s sporting history — and changes Oleksiak’s life.

Six days changes everything — a Lou Marsh winner in waiting. We don’t need the vote anymore. We know who and we know how. 

This was Oleksiak’s first gold medal. Quite likely, it will not be her last.

This was supposed to be the beginning for Canada’s next great swimmer, already the most decorated in Olympic history. She didn’t care to wait. She did what Canadian summer athletes haven’t done often enough. She went out and grabbed victory. And her life will never be the same.

ssimmons@postmedia.ca

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