Beyond Politics - Fin Donnelly

NDP MP Fin Donnelly was born in New Westminster, B.C. and excelled at sports from a young age. Fin began swimming at four, and was a top-ranked Canadian in distance swimming by the age of 14. In fact, he just missed qualifying for the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics.

Donnelly's parents immigrated from England in the 1950's and worked hard to give Fin (short for Finbar) and his brother a good home and encourage them in sports and academics. After completing a degree in philosophy and environmental studies at the University of Victoria, Donnelly was approached by an environmental group. They wanted his swimming prowess to draw attention to the plight of the Georgia Strait. It took him eight and a half hours to swim across the body of water, raising $50,000. In 1992 he swam the 1,400-kilometre length of the Fraser River, again to highlight the importance of the river's watershed. Donnelly served on Coquitlam City Council for seven years before winning a federal byelection in 2009. 
Catherine Clark talks to Fin Donnelly about his life Beyond Politics.