The Kelso era at UBC began in 1978 when at the urging of retiring UBC swimming coach Jack Pomfret, Kelso accepted an offer to coach and teach at UBC. Taking over the program built by Pomfret, Kelso for 12 years – 1978/79 until 1990, worked a 5 am to 8 pm day, teaching in Human Kinetics, serving as senior faculty advisor and as head coach of the UBC swim team. Kelso built the UBC program during the 1980s to a level where under Tom Johnson in the 1990s and beyond it has become UBC's most successful sport program in terms of national championships.
During his years as coach, Kelso took the UBC women's team to two CIAU (CIS) national titles and his teams to the championship of Canada West seven different years. In his 12 years he was three times selected the CIS Coach of the Year and coached and trained many notable UBC swimmers such as Olympians Bruce Berger, Kevin Draxinger and Turlough O'Hare, the latter two UBC Hall of Famers, along with future national swim coach Mike Blondal. In addition, twelve of Kelso's UBC swimmers are now doctors. Moreover, Jack's two Canadian championships were the most recorded by a UBC swim coach to that point and his seven Canada West titles pulled him even with Jack Pomfret in this category.
A highlight occurred at the 1984 Olympic Games for the Disabled where Thunderbird coach Kelso coached Canada's fifteen-person swim team to eleven medals. All of Kelso's swimmers swam lifetime personal bests under his direction at the Games.
Jack grew up in Ocean Falls, B.C. and was one of that small town's many outstanding swimmers, in fact Ocean Falls is legendary for producing many of Canada's most decorated and influential swimmers. Receiving a scholarship to swim for the University of Denver he proceeded to set NCAA and world records and has the honour of being the first Canadian to win a US national collegiate title. In fact the small-town B.C. swimmer is inducted into two Halls of Fame in Colorado and three more in Canada.
Kelso also swam for Canada, winning four medals at Commonwealth Games and two more at Pan-Am Games while setting Canadian records in the 100 and 200 meter Breaststroke, and the 400 meter Individual Medley in 1964.
It was after teaching and the administering of sport programs in several countries around the world that Jack was asked by UBC to come back home and coach the Thunderbirds.
After his 12 years of coaching, Jack continued to teach in Human Kinetics until his retirement in 1998 but retirement did not slow Mr. Kelso down one bit. He currently competes and holds world records in World Masters swimming and with his world-class ranking and number one age group ranking in Canada he has been acknowledged with Swimming Canada and Sport B.C. awards. In 1999, he was selected by Sport B.C. as the B.C. Master's Athlete of the Year. He also has five books published on the history of swimming in B.C., Canada and the Olympics and is working on two more. In addition he with some help from UBC's Athletic Historian, is putting together a roster of every swimmer and coach who has donned the Blue & Gold for UBC.
Kelso's passion for swimming and life, an inspiration to many including those at UBC – his adventures and accomplishments - might make you wonder what have you done with your own life.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
