By Eliza McGuire, Revelstoke Aquaducks
Last season was a record-breaking one for the Revelstoke Aquaqducks in many ways. Not only was their record board significantly altered by multiple swimmers, the Ducks cracked the top 10 teams at BC Summer Swim Association Provincials in Kamloops, placing ninth.
This season, the Revelstoke Aquaducks are looking to pick up where they left off when they host the rest of the Okanagan region in the first meet of the year this weekend, June 6-7. One month into training, the Ducks hope to showcase what they have learned and the results of their hard work during the hectic month of May.
Almost 60 children from Revelstoke are signed up to race, the youngest being four, though there are adult swimmers who will be competing as well. One of the most entertaining events the meet offers particular to Revelstoke is the family relay, where family (or a combination of families) compete against each other in exhibition fun to determine which club not only has the fastest kids, but the fastest family of freestylers.
Normally a meet runs preliminaries to qualify for finals and thus limits the swimmer's number of entries. This year, the Ducks have gone to a timed-finals format that allows athletes to enter in all possible events, and also offers a few exhibition events that swimmers would not normally get the chance to compete in.
Despite a hard fight and some truly excellent swimming, last year the Revelstoke meet was won by a strong Kelowna team that came with numbers to spare, with Revelstoke coming in a close second. Come out and support your local swim team as they swim their way to new personal bests this weekend, and attempt to win back the title of Top Team from the Kelowna Ogopogos!
Following the Revelstoke meet, the Ducks will have a weekend off before the season picks up in earnest when the Lumby Lightning host June 20-21 at their outdoor pool, which will hopefully be sans thunder and lightning for the duration of the weekend.