On Sunday, Nov. 5 at Richmond’s Watermania, the Winskill Otters Masters Swim Club held their first swim meet after a three-year absence.
Normally the Winskill Otters Masters Swim Club holds their popular masters swim meet every year, but the pandemic saw their annual meet, Ottermania, cancelled for three years straight.
More than 132 entrants attended the meet, with 15 individual events and both 400 metre freestyle and 400 metre medley relays.
“Swim meets are a key part of training,” said head coach Judy Baker. “Setting training goals and evaluating your progress with the individual strokes, different distances, and comparisons with swimmers of your same age. Those metrics are front and centre with swim meets.
“It is great to have the meet back for training, and as we all know from the isolation of the pandemic, the social side of these events is so important, too. Many people in masters swimming have known each other for years and reconnect at the meets. It was super to be up and going again and seeing our friends again.”
Club president Nicole Federucci remarked, “We were really pleased with the meet. Nine individual club records were beat. We had a full house and it was fantastic to be back."
Winskill Otters Masters Swim Club has operated at the Winskill Pool in Tsawwassen since 1987. With a focus on fun, fitness and friendship, the club provides a welcoming environment for adult members of all ages with professional coaches for both competitive swimmers and non-competitive swimmers. It holds three practice sessions per week and participates in masters swimming meets throughout the year.
