Noemie Thomas
Noemie Thomas is a Canadian Record Holder born and raised in Richmond, B.C. Thomas is a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley where she was recruited as the no. three international recruit and CollegeSwimming.com’s 25th-ranked recruit overall in the class of 2014. Born Feb. 4, 1996 to parents, Ken Thomas and Cecilia Ip, Thomas has represented Canada everywhere from local competitions to World Championships. She swam with the UBC Dolphins Swim Club when she qualified and become a member of the Canadian National Team in the butterfly events, which is her specialty stroke. Thomas and Cal teammate, Cierra Runge, were roomed together as freshmen, and the two took the Pac 12 Championship Meet by storm. As a young girl, Thomas spent her days practicing as a ballerina – and surprisingly – not as a swimmer. For about 10 years Thomas was in the ballet studio, and she believes that it helped in developing her as an elite athlete. She continued ballet until she was 12 years old, but didn’t find swimming at the age of seven; however, she didn’t swim in a competition for another five years.
UC Berkeley
2014-2015
As a freshman Thomas had a spectacular first meet as a Cal Bear. She won the 200 butterfly in an NCAA ‘A’ cut time, she also placed fifth in the 100 butterfly and tied for 35h in the 50 freestyle.
International Competition
As a member of the Canadian National Team, she set a Canadian record in the 50m butterfly at the 2012 World Short-Course Championships where she finished fourth. She also came in fifth in the 100m butterfly. The same year she swam at the 2012 Junior Pan Pacific Championships – she brought home a gold medal in the 100m butterfly and a silver medal as a member of the 400m medley relay.
At the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona Thomas made a final in the 100m butterfly, and she finished seventh. She also came in fifth in the 50m butterfly. After all of her success Thomas received the Swimming Canada Youth and Junior Athlete of the Year for 2012-2013.
