The Comox Valley Sharks are back in the water.
After almost four months out of the water, more than 25 swimmers were back in the water last week as training resumed at Comox Lake.
This has been the longest stretch members have been out of the water for most of their lives, and their longest break ever as competitive swimmers.
For July, they are training twice a week, swimming 2-4km on the lake each swim. It’s an important transition, getting back in the water and using this limited time during the summer for hopeful resumption of regular training in September.
With head coach Tyler Lewall conducting the workouts, a team of parent volunteers help out on kayaks and paddleboards as safety monitors and helping the swimmers stay on course. With restrictions keeping pools closed for training purposes, the club has had to get creative to keep the athletes active over this time. From April to June, swimmers took part in daily land workouts and weekly yoga sessions. Some swimmers took to training on their own at Goose Spit or tethered in place in backyard pools.
With the cancellations of Olympic trials, Western Canadian Championships and provincials, it was a trying time for the swimmers to miss the training they had become accustomed to, and not competing in meets for which they had spent thousands of hours preparing over the years.
There was an air of excitement this month, though, as they were able to once again see their teammates, get in the water and start preparing for the resumption of their passion.