[1] Born in Poland, Smiechowski moved to Canada as a child in 1964, settling with his family in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

[2] Smiechowski began competing seriously in athletics towards the end of high school and in 1975 became Canadian junior decathlon champion.

He didn't get a chance to compete at the following year's Olympics in Montreal as the Canadian delegation opted to not send a decathlete.

[3] A Simon Fraser University varsity athlete, Smiechowski won the national senior decathlon title every year from 1976 to 1979.

He finished in the bronze medal position at the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan, behind Bobby Coffman and Tito Steiner.