Synchro is more than meets the eye

To the casual observer, synchronized swimming might appear to be nothing more than a bunch of girls in flashy swimsuits and a lot of makeup splashing around in a pool.

But like a duck in a pond — calm on top, but paddling like hell under — there’s a lot more going on under beneath the water line..

“A lot of people compare it to sprinting for three minutes while holding your breath,” says Team Newfoundland and Labrador’s Catherine Barrett.

“It involves a lot of difficult positions and cardio,” adds teammate Emma Knee. “But doing it while holding your breath makes it ten times harder.”

The ability to hold your breath for extended periods of time while focusing on one’s routine is a test of one’s endurance.

“You have to be always moving, always holding your breath for half the time, that’s something you don’t see in a lot of other sports.”