The following article is taken from a recent Orillia Channel Cats Swim Club Release – as published in Orillia Matters. Photo is courtesy of Orillia Matters.
Sustainable Orillia is pleased to share this article, as it features the accomplishments of Blythe Wieclawek. the current president of Sustainable Orillia’s Youth Council. Congratulations Blythe to you and all of your teammates on the Channel Cats – best wishes for another very successful year.
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The Orillia Channel Cats Swim Club 2022-2023 season is underway.
The club currently has 121 registered swimmers for the upcoming season.
“We are pleased with our registration numbers this year so far, and we hope to add more in the winter and spring sessions,” says head coach Meredith Thompson-Edwards.
The local club recently participated in their first meets of the season. The first was in Guelph. Eighteen swimmers from the bronze, silver and gold training groups were in attendance. The focus of this meet was simply remembering how to race.
The swimmers who participated raced well and even achieved some personal best times. Swimmers in attendance include Jackson Denne, Sophia Brown, Anna Holton, Indiana Abram, Zoe Baker, Grace Hunter, Kael Cresanto, Olivia LePage, Sylvia Chabot, Katie Heckendorn, Nadine Ackert, Maelle Mooney, Kajun Butler, Adair Wieclawek, Ava Fairgrieve, Fedor Radvieskii, Emony Fisher and Isabella Brown.
The following weekend, gold swimmer Blythe Wieclawek participated in the FINA World short course championships held in Toronto. Swim Canada gave the top 300 Canadian junior swimmers the opportunity to
compete at worlds provided they have the national qualifying standard in any event. Wieclawek competed in the 50-metre freestyle, 50-metre backstroke, 100-metre backstroke, 50-metre butterfly, and 100-metre butterfly.
“This was an amazing opportunity for both swimmer and coach to see how a world championship competition is run and to share the pool deck with Olympians and their coaches from all over the world,” says Thompson-Edwards.
Wieclawek raced a personal best time in the 50-metre backstroke and 100-metre butterfly and was within a second of her all-time best times in her other events.
“This was an opportunity Blythe and myself are very grateful for,” adds Thompson-Edwards.
