Brooke Lamoureux and coach Kris Bell of the Comox Valley Aquatic Club Sharks were both selected by Swimming Canada to attend the 2014 FINA World Junior Open Water Championships, to be held Sept. 5-7 in Hungary.
Lamoureux, who is 15, has been training throughout the summer at the outdoor pool, the base pool and at Comox Lake in preparation for her Team Canada selection.
"This is the Sharks' first ever selection to Team Canada," notes Bell. It was Lamoureux’s outstanding performance in her first ever open water international competition in the Cayman Islands that earned her the spot on the team.
Bell is very excited for the opportunity this has given Brooke and the Sharks' program.
The Sharks will be starting their 2014-2015 season upon their return from Hungary, the week of Sept. 8. Bell aims for growth within the club and hopes to assist swimmers achieve their goals within both competitive and non-competitive swimming.
The Sharks offer several swimming programs. Their Shark school program is aimed at swimmers ages 10 and under and offers the basic building blocks to build swimmers' knowledge and confidence to potentially become competitive swimmers. This program offers three levels of instruction, working on comfort in the water, basic swimming strokes and skills, to a pre-competitive level.
The Sharks' competitive program is for any age of swimmer who has graduated from the Sharks school or has mastered the basics of swimming and is interested in in the competitive aspect of the sport.
The Sharks also have a non-competitive stream at this level for those who enjoy swimming but are not attracted to competition.
They also have Masters program which caters to all adults who are interested in swimming with a coach. The Masters program is geared to all levels of adults, whether you are just starting out, returning from a long "hiatus" in swimming or are a triathlete wanting to improve in the pool. This program offers coaching, guidance and competitive opportunities for those interested.
If you are interested in joining any one of the Sharks programs, contact coach Bell at 250-650-1680 or kris.r.bell@gmail.com. If you would like to speak to Bell in person and assess what program is best suited for you or your child, stop in at the Aquatic Centre (Lerwick and Ryan) on Sept. 10 or 11 between 5 and 7 p.m. for more information. Remember to bring your swimming gear for the assessment.
The Sharks are looking forward to seeing all returning swimmers for the 2014-2015 season and hope to see many more new faces on the pool deck.
– Comox Valley Aquatic Club Sharks