The Yukon Graylings Masters Swim Club was represented by one swimmer, in just one event, at the UBC Masters Swim Meet in Vancouver on Sunday.
With the one swim the club went undefeated.
Graylings’ Victoria Ryan won the women’s 35-39 category in the 100-metre individual medley at the short-course meet that saw 159 swimmers from 21 clubs hit the water.
“I won my age group in the 100 IM but since it was my first meet since having my third child six months ago I participated mainly because I love the sport and the atmosphere at these meets,” said Ryan.
Ryan, who is president of the Graylings club, took first with a time of one minute, 17.39 seconds - not that she’s bragging about it.
“My time was a little bit embarrassing, to be honest,” said Ryan. “It was the first swim meet I’ve done since I had my third child. He was with me, on the pool deck, together with my oldest child. So I had two children with me at the swim meet this time.”
The Graylings club, which is in just its second season, has grown to 15 members, up from about seven or eight last season.
It also has a pretty big name on its coaching staff. Whitehorse’s Stephanie Dixon, who is one of the most decorated Paralympians of all time, has been coaching Graylings swimmers this season.
Dixon, who was born with one leg, won 19 medals, including seven gold, over three Paralympic Summer Games and was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame in 2013. She is the former head coach of the Whitehorse Glacier Bears Swim Club and has coached Yukon swimmers at the Canada Summer Games.
“We really want to provide coaching because a lot of swimmers really need that extra direction and help with their swimming,” said Ryan. “It seems to attract more swimmers that way.
“We’ve really made an effort to always have a coach on deck this year. Last year the club would always provide a workout, but there was no coach on deck. This year we said we’d do our very best to have somebody there at all times.”
The Graylings club is a registered member of Masters Swimming of B.C. and Masters Swimming of Canada. The club holds practices at the Canada Games Centre on Sundays, but members also get together during public swimming hours.
Those interested in learning more can contact the club at graylingsmasters@gmail.com or find it on Facebook.
“We really try to cater to a wide range of swimmers, so it’s not like you have to be a super fast, former Olympian or competitive swimmer,” said Ryan. “We want to see triathletes or fitness swimmers ... We write our workouts to adapt to a wide range of abilities.”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com