Work ethic translating to success for local swimmers

Italk a lot about the hockey players in our Athlete Enhancement Program, but we work with many other hard-working talented athletes too.

We have a very strong group of swimmers in our program this year. The swimmers in our program include Jaiden Riddell, Brandt Swaren, Anna Nozewski, and Quirina Thompson. These athletes are all top-level swimmers who are dedicated to their sport and the process that goes into being a great swimmer!

These swimmers are some of our most consistent athletes; they show up to training sessions on a regular basis and work extremely hard while they are there. For example, Nozewski and Thompson consistently show up to our early morning sessions and go for a two- to three-mile run for a warm-up. The most impressive thing about this is that they do these runs outside at Medicine Hat College on the Sunrise Rotary trail regardless of the weather conditions. It is not uncommon for these two to go for a run when it’s 20 C outside.

This work ethic translates into success in the pool. Riddell recently won the gold medal in five events (50 back, 100 back, 50 breast, 50 free, and 50 fly) at the Southern Alberta Provincials short course event in Calgary this past weekend. He also won his 50 metre backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 100 individual medley and added silvers in 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke at the Pugsley’s Plunge Invitational in Calgary earlier this month. Additionally, Nozewski and Thompson also won medals at this event. Nozewski won her 50, 100, and 200 metre breaststroke races. Thompson won the 200 IM, took silver in the 50 butterfly and 200 backstroke and was third in the 100 fly. In addition to these amazing accomplishments from our three Medicine Hat Waves Swim Club members, we also have Swaren from the Alberta Marlin Aquatic Club here in Medicine Hat. Swaren recently took home three silver and two bronze at the Lethbridge Amateur Swim Club Winter Classic.

We are very proud of these four swimmers in our Athlete Enhancement Program. It is very fun to watch them accomplish their goals. I believe that their hard work will continue to transpire into future success. We are already seeing some of this future success in that Nozewski recently committed to join the swim team at the University of Lethbridge!

Cory Coehoorn is the coordinator of the Alberta Sport Development Centre at Medicine Hat College. He would love to chat with you and answer any questions that you may have regarding their programs and services. He can be reached via email at ccoehoorn@mhc.ab.ca or via phone at 403-504-3547.