Young swimmers welcome challenge
Makayla Tucker and Kate Hopkins are not your average 10 year olds.
The competitive swimmers and triathletes seek challenges most children their age shy away from. This was evident when both took on 400 metre distances when the Trent Swim Club hosted a regional development meet Sunday at the Trent Athletics Centre.
Tucker took on the 400 individual medley and Hopkins the 400m freestyle against competition from Barrie and Lindsay clubs. TSSC had 30 swimmers among the 75 total competitors.
TSC age group coach Kent Crockower, who also coaches the two girls with the Peterborough Pirates Triathlon Club, says they thrive on challenging themselves.
“Makayla has already taken on the toughest swim in the 400 IM and has done quite well,” Crockower said. “Not many kids want to do a 400 IM or are willing to do a 400 IM at that age. It’s a tough physical race, a tough mental race. You have 100 metres of each stroke. It’s tough on the muscles and tough on the body. She loves to race and loves to swim and is very coachable. You put those things together and you’ve got someone who loves challenges. She has great spirit and is a real spark plug.” Hopkins shows similar traits. “Kate is up doing her first 400 free and, again, it’s a longer race than most of the 10 and unders do,” said Crockower. “She’ll do quite well at it. It’s tough as a 10 year old to take on those new challenges. It’s a very different experience when you dive into the water to be willing to push yourself and challenge yourself for that kind of distance.”
Both girls carry athletic genes. Hopkins’s father Kirk has represented Canada at world age group triathlon championships and Tucker’s father Jeremy has long been one of the area’s most competitive triathletes and runners.
“The apples aren’t falling far from the trees,” said Crockower.
Makayla, a Grade 5 pupil at St. Catherine Elementary School, said the 400 IM was difficult but she looks forward to doing it again.
“I was nervous at the beginning but then I did it and I actually liked it a lot,” she said. “It has a lot of my favourite strokes like the butterfly.”
She says her father helps her a lot.
“He inspires me and he tells me what I did wrong each race to help me improve,” she said.
Kate, a Grade 5 pupil at James Strath Public School, said her first 400 free was tough.
“It was kind of challenging,” she said. “My arms hurt but it wasn’t really tiring, I wasn’t out of breath that much. I’d try it again.”
She says she joined TSC to help her with triathlon.
“And I like swimming,” she said.
She says her father is a big influence.
“He’s encouraging. If I don’t want to do it, he always finds a way to cheer me up so I want to do it,” she said.