The Rams Swimming and Triathlon Club competed at their first ever swim meet with a visit to Grande Prairie this past Sunday.
Dawson Creek’s newest swim club, which began practices in April, took three swimmers to compete against swim organizations from Fort St. John, Chetwynd, Grande Cache, Hay River, and hosts Grande Prairie at the Fast Track into Fall swim meet.
Issabella Cumming, Calley Johanson, Sarah Smith – Grade Four students at École Frank Ross Elementary – competed in four events. About 200 swimmers attended the Fast Track into Fall, which ran Saturday and Sunday. The Rams swam on Sunday only.
Head Coach Jonathan Gilman said that the three swimmers performed well for it being their inaugural meet.
“The girls all swam terrific,” said Gilman. “They all worked hard, swam smart, and raced really well.”
“The girls held their own against other competitors that have been swimming for years,” added Gilman, who began the swim club this spring to provide training to young Dawson Creek swimmers year-round.
“This was the first meet of the season and the goal of the meet was to participate, establish a baseline to work from, and to have an introduction to the competitive swim environment,” noted Gilman. “Swimming is ultimately about self-improvement, setting process-oriented goals, and always working towards personal bests.”
Rams Swimming and Triathlon Club will continue to compete locally within the Peace Region. The club’s swim season approximately follows the school year through to June, with the option of July.
Gilman said that once swimmers reach provincial competition levels then they will have the options of competing in Edmonton, Prince George, or other major meets in B.C. and Alberta.
Competitions are held every four to six weeks and are optional to attend. The next meet will be in Fort St. John in December.
The Rams practice Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Kenn Borek Aquatic Centre. Swimmers have the option to swim one, two, or three times a week.
