Three members of the Olds Rapids Swim Club have qualified for Swim Alberta's southern winter festival which takes place Nov. 24 and 25 in Cochrane.
They are Thomas Andrews, 11; Kayla Milz, 10; and Brooke Rosevear, 10.
Swim Alberta describes the competition as an introduction to provincial level swim meets, where competitors compete in heats and finals.
"Among the three swimmers we have 15 qualifying times; 15 different events," Rapids head coach Cecilia Wessels says.
"I think we have, I would say, five opportunities of medalling."
"(Kayla) Milz was the fifth fastest butterflier for 10 and under last year at Provincials," Wessels says.
"Brooke is brand new to our club. She's very powerful and very determined, so I'm thinking she's going to medal. She medalled last weekend in Okotoks for butterfly.
"And Thomas is also a previous provincial qualifier so he's got the drive. He got bitten; he wants to go.
"So I think all three of them stand a really good chance of medalling."
is a 2018 long course provincial qualifier.
"Because I'm not good at efficient strokes (like the butterfly)," he says, adding the butterfly is a problem for him because in order to do it, you have to "get up and out of the water."
On the other hand, Milz says the butterfly is her best stroke.
"I think it's mine because it's more challenging, and I really like challenges," she says.
Milz knows what she needs to work on in order to improve in other strokes.
"I need to work on my breathing in fly and my backstroke, because I'm pretty slow in my backstroke," she says.
Rosevear says butterfly or freestyle are her best events -- especially the butterfly.
"I guess it's just a really powerful stroke and you don't need to use as many strokes for doing one length," she says.
Like Milz, Rosevear says backstroke is her worst event.
"I'm not great at underwater for doing backstroke, coming after the push-off, and I always end up hitting my head against the wall," she says.
Andrews has been speed swimming since Grade 2, Milz for about five years and Rosevear for about four years.
All three enjoy speed swimming for the same reason: it's not a contact sport.
"I just like swimming, and I feel like swimming and not breaking any bones makes it infinitely better than contact sports," Andrews says.
Rosevear says she also likes running.
"I like doing fast sports," she says.
