Courtesy: Swimming Canada
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Fifteen young swimmers from across Canada took part in a Pan Provincial Open Water camp in Bridgetown, Barbados, from Nov. 3-11. The seven-day camp, in partnership with provincial swimming organizations, was followed by two days of competitive racing. This annual camp provides a valuable Next Gen opportunity for young athletes to develop essential open water skills, followed by a chance to apply what they’ve learned in a competitive racing environment.
This camp aligns with Swimming Canada’s distance strategy initiative, which aims to enhance the performance and international representation of Canadian swimmers in long-distance events. Swimming Canada Distance/Open Water Coach Mark Perry served as team leader, with six coaches taking part as a coach development opportunity.
Women
| Name | Club | Personal Coach |
| Gillian Archer | Olympian Swim Club | Lesley Serediak |
| Claudia Boily | Pointe-Claire Swim Club | Phil Garverick |
| Isabella Cooper | Lakeshore Swim Club | Tristan Vowles |
| Peyton Leigh | Brock Niagara Aquatics | Dave Ling |
| Delphine Piatera Mercier | Club de Natation de Sherbrooke | Amelie Poirier |
| Stella Robinson | Grande Prairie Piranhas | Alex Dawson |
| Mia Thomas | Toronto Swim Club | Bill O’Toole |
| Zoe Tomory | Lakeshore Swim Club | Tristan Vowles |
| Annabelle Turcotte | Club de Natation Région de Québec | Pierre Lamy |
MEN
| Name | Club | Personal Coach |
| David Cortez | CAMO Natation | Claude St-Jean |
| Zachary Johnson | Grand Prairie Piranhas | Alex Dawson |
| Dominik Kwiecien | Grand Prairie Piranhas | Alex Dawson |
| Xavier Lavoie | Natation Gatineau | Salim Laoubi |
| Renaud Trudel | CAMO Natation | Claude St-Jean |
| Paul Zeleni | Markham Aquatic Club | Sean Baker |
For many participants, it was their first time racing in open water. Coach Andrew Miller of Calgary’s Cascade Swim Club emphasized how the experience helped build their confidence.
“It was definitely a positive experience for them. Some of them have done open water in the past, it’s been either in a rowing canal or in a lake. So definitely a little nerve-wracking for them at first, but once we got in and we did a couple sessions, it was a lot better. You could see that they were improving as the week went on, and they definitely are going to bring home some new experiences through this,” said Miller.
Throughout the week, the swimmers worked on several key open water techniques that are necessary to success in the sport.
“We worked on sighting and drafting. When you’re working in a pack, being able to see kind of where you’re going, picking a target further out, and using that as your waypoint as you move through the camp. Drafting either on the hip or the feet of the person in front of you just to kind of conserve your energy and be able to feel the motion of the water. If there was any kind of current, be able to use that to your advantage. With drafting and working in a pack you don’t always have to be the leader,” he said.
David Cortez from Montreal’s CAMO Natation came to the camp with no prior experience in open water. Despite his lack of familiarity with the discipline, he won the men’s 10-km event.
“I had never done any competitions in lakes or anything. So it was my first time. It was a really nice experience, especially that it was in the sea,” said Cortez.
Reflecting on his race, Cortez shared his initial apprehension and how the experience exceeded his expectations.
“The highlight of the week was definitely the 10 km, because it was my first time. I’ve never swam that long before in one shot. I learned a lot during the race. It felt really good because I wasn’t expecting (to win) at all. I was actually pretty scared in the beginning to lead because I’ve never led a pack,” he added.
Dominik Kwiecien of the Grand Prairie Piranhas, winner of the men’s 1.5-km event, entered the camp with more open water experience.
“Before this camp, I’ve been to two other camps really similar to this one in Spain. And then I also had the opportunity to go to the World Junior Open Water Championships a few years ago. I’m definitely not the most experienced (open water) swimmer, but I’ve gotten a fair bit of racing back,” said Kwiecien.
Kwiecien discussed the benefits of the camp as he develops further as an athlete in open water swimming.
“The highlight was just swimming in that pack and getting a feel for it and getting more and more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Also, dealing with the ocean, and the environment around it that you’re not really able to get in a pool setting,” he said.
The athletes are taking this learning experience as a stepping stone to reach their goals.
“This training camp definitely helped me with experience because I had none before. I know a little bit about what it’s like to swim in open water now. My goal this season is definitely to compete in my provincial competitions, do open water and take what I learned from this camp and apply it for big meets and open water” Cortez said.
The winner of the women’s 1.5-km and 10-km races, Delphine Piatera-Mercier of Club de Natation de Sherbrooke, offered advice to young swimmers who are hesitant about trying open water.
“I would tell them that it is a very good experience. It is very different. There is more strategy and analysis during the race” she said.
Kwicien echoed a similar sentiment.
“I would say it’s worth a try. It could help you in pool swimming. It could help open more doors, and it could be just a fun break from the pool.”
The next step in Swimming Canada’s distance strategy initiative is the Speedo Virtual Distance Series. The virtual series promotes distance swimming across Canada with minimal travel. Participants have the opportunity to race distance events in various pools in November, January and April. For further information on November’s challenge, visit https://www.swimming.ca/event/virtual-distance-series-800-free/
