OLDS — After two years of varying levels of restrictions on practice and competition, the Olds Rapids Swim Club (ORSC) has five swimmers attending invitation-only provincial-level swim meets.
Due to the hard work they put in this season and the personal times they earned at competitions this year, Jayda Bauer 10, Kepler Fitzner 13, Brooke Rosevear 14, Seleah Organ 15, and Aidan Fox 16, will all be representing the club.
In her first year of swimming competitively, Bauer’s efforts resulted in an invitation to Swim Alberta’s southern winter festival in 50-metre (m) backstroke.
That festival is designed to prepare young swimmers for future provincial level meets.
It will be held concurrently with Swim Alberta Provincials this March 11-13 at the Repsol Sport Centre in Calgary where Fitzner, Rosevear, and Organ will be giving their all.
FItzner has been swimming for three years. When asked about what he likes most about swimming with ORSC, Fitzner says “it is a small swim club so it is not cramped in the lanes . . . and also my friends.”
This will be his first year competing in provincials and his aim is to place in the top eight at the event.
“My favourite thing about swimming with the Olds Rapids is my teammates. I am very close with all my teammates and coach, which makes being on the team enjoyable. I also just like to be in the water, get my exercise in and swim.”
With four years of competitive swimming, this is not the first time Rosevear will be competing at provincials. Her goal in the 50m breaststroke is to achieve a new personal best.
With six years of swimming competitively, Seleah will be competing in the 50m backstroke in her first provincial competition.
She’s looking forward to connecting with other swimmers from across the province and has her eyes set on setting new personal bests.
Fox has more than nine years of competitive swimming under his belt and will represent ORSC this year at Swim Alberta’s Provincial Championships event in Edmonton March 19 and 20. He’s competing in both the 50m and 100m butterfly.
Fox has his eyes set on shaving time off his events to qualify for a Western Canada time. That is the next level of competition he had his eyes set on.
This past weekend, the Rapids competed at the John Timmermans Meet in Calgary.
Many of the athletes shaved seconds off their individual events, came in the top 10 and a few athletes earned podium times.
Fitzner placed first in the 50m freestyle, third in the 50m fly and was in the top 10 for his other events.
Fox earned medals in all three events, placing second in both the 100m individual medley, 100m free and third in the 50m free.
Three times a year, the ORSC opens its doors for youth to attend practice during “Try-it Week.” More information on that can be found at oldsrapids.com.
