Following the Aug. 13-19 provincial championships, the Creston Wave Swim Club is now finished for the season, but for some, the break will only be a few months — the winter maintenance program kicks off in January, something potential members should think about over the fall.
“It would definitely be a good start and prepare you for summer,” said coach Kevin Woykin. “You don’t take that few weeks to catch up to everybody else.”
From January through April, members meet for two hours a week; any more time and the club would no longer be considered a summer program. The low-impact sport is good for athletes who don’t excel at team sports — swimmers compete on their own — and provides excellent off-training for sports like hockey and soccer.
This summer, about 35 swimmers were part of the club, which Woykin enjoyed coaching for the third summer in a row.
“It’s a really fun job,” said the University of Victoria biology student, who plans to go into medicine. “It’s always fun being around kids.”
Thanks to Creston’s indoor swimming pool, which has entered its third year since opening, swimmers can practice on their own in the fall, leading up to the winter maintenance program. Then, when Waves start up full-time in May, they will be ready for greater challenges.
“A lot of new swimmers improve a ton,” said Woykin. “A lot of them start with water wings and a life jacket, and by the end they’re doing it on their own.”
For more information on the Creston Wave Swim Club, email crestonwave@gmail.com or call assistant coach Monique Ares at 250-402-6768.