Returning to the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre

This was a journal write up I completed for a first year English class I am in at Laurier.

Photo: Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre 65 meter pool

On February 26-28 I swam my first competition inside the 65-meter pool of the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre pool for the first time in over 2 years. Competing in the 2016 Short Course Western Region Championships was a huge success! I swam several life time bests and won several events. The WGSC pool has been a love hate relationship for several years. A couple of years ago I used to train inside this pool 9 times a week as it was my primary training center. Now coming to university things have shifted with swimming for the Wilfrid Laurier University as well the switch to W Ross Macdonald Swimming. For once in a very long time I was excited to return to this pool and was looking for exciting swims. I have had a lot of history with this pool. Back in early 2014 I faced the uphill battle of a serve shoulder injury that nearly ended my swimming career. Coming back to this pool in the past was often difficult because knowing the training I once did nearly ended my swimming career. Often times coming into the building, negative thoughts would swirl around my mind and even at times emotions would take over a weights session or lane swim practice. Seeing the faces of former teammates and coaching staff was often difficult and made me frustrated remembering all the drama and terrible times. Since going to university, and not being at this pool everyday I think it made this swim meet so exciting and unique because it felt like coming to a new pool I had never swam in before. 

This meet was different for me as I was swimming off events because I just swam my best events while representing WLU at the Ontario University Provincials a couple weeks before. When I looked through the event program my attitude only improved as I saw where I was seated. Being able to win 3 gold and 1 silver medals was extremely rewarding. But more importantly swimming personal best times and having fun was even better then any medals won. My confidence to swimming well in this once difficult pool to swim in had returned. I am looking forward to the next competition I will compete in at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre Pool.

 

Results:

50 Back Prelims 29:26 10^th

50 Breast Prelims 32:61 2^nd

100 Breast Prelims 1:12.59 2^nd

200 Medley Relay 1:56.66 6^th

100 Breast Finals 1:10.89 GOLD and LIFE TIME BEST

50 Back Finals 29:24 12^th

200 Breast Prelims 2:37.72 1^st Season Best Time

200 Free Relay 1:41.06 GOLD by 0.03 for 2^nd and 0.11 for 3^rd!

50 Breast Finals 32:39 SILVER

200 Breast Finals 2:37.27 GOLD Season Best Time