Swimming into the AA Long Course Provincials in Victoria, held June 19 – 22, were Waveriders Billy Swyers and Natasha Hanson with both athletes facing off against older competition at the meet.
Though provincial standards start at age 11, accomplished swimmer 10-year-old Billy Swyers has already reached the standards required.
Having already qualified for the AA’s, Swyers’ goal is to soon reach the AAA’s standing.
Training hard during practice and with six years of swimming experience, Swyers took on the competition in Victoria.
Swyers swam in for four personal best times, also jetting into 11th place in the 100m backstroke, the 400m freestyle and the 200m freestyle, as well as placing 10th in the 100m freestyle.
Hardwork paid off for this athlete with one of the highlights of the competition was qualifying to swim in the finals for the 50m freestyle.
Though Swyers went into the finals in eighth place, his effort and determination launched him ahead of the competition, landing him in seventh place overall for the 50m freestyle.
“I liked the pool because it felt fast,” Swyers said regarding his experience at the AA Long Course Provincials.
“We got to warm up and cool down in the dive tank and I enjoyed spending time with the kids from other swim clubs in the province.”
Also attending the event was 14-year-old Natasha Hanson. Having spent two and half year swimming competitively and already reached AA’s standing for 15-year-olds Hanson hopes to try for AAA in the upcoming season.
“I really enjoyed the meet,” Hanson said.
“I made way more finals than I thought I was going to. Most of the time I was really close to my personal best times but didn’t make as many as I wanted.”
Although she didn’t make the personal best times she was hoping for, Hanson made it into the finals four times during the meet.
In the 200m freestyle, Hanson’s efforts earned her 13th place, she also took home 11th in the 100m freestyle and seventh place in the 800m freestyle.
In the finals for the 50m freestyle Hanson launched ahead, starting in seventh place and finishing in fifth.
Hanson was diving into the water again recently, travelling to Nanaimo July 17 – 20 for the 2014 B.C. Summer Games to participate in the swimming events.
The next events for the Waveriders were the AAA Provincials in Victoria July 3 – 6 and the Open Water Championship on July 7 at Thetis Lake, both events were attended by Quesnel athlete Garnet Currie.
Currie later attended the B.C. Summer Games, for the second time. Previously he had participated in the swimming events and opted to take on the Triathlon event in the 2014 Games.