Despite the endless changing of restrictions and the fleeting opportunities to practice, the Canadian Badlands Aquatic Club swimmers have shown great improvements and resilience.
While this week the swimming pools will be closed, the team did get an opportunity to compete, virtually.
“Because Swim Alberta had cancelled all competitions across the province, I received this email from a BC club called the Pacific Coast Club, asking us to join in their virtual meet,’ said Coach Morgan Syvertsen. “We signed up and got all the kids to pick their events and last week we spent timing events every day. It’s like this teeny tiny little swim meet but it has been great.”
“I’ve been telling all the parents despite all the setbacks, the kids have just kept getting better and better and sure enough they pulled off some excellent times.”
The results of the meet are not completely tabulated at the time of publishing, but Syvertsen said several swimmers posted their personal bests at the virtual swim meet, one even besting their time by six seconds.
“It is giving them some incentive to pick up where we may leave off for next year. We have unfinished business,” he said.
The virtual meet was a good chance for the swimmers to compete.
Last season many swimmers had qualified with provincial time and qualified to compete, but the day before the meet, it was cancelled, and they missed that opportunity.
“They were waiting for an opportunity to show their stuff. That was two competition seasons we have lost and now two swimmers have graduated,” he said.
