Almost 50 swimmers dove into a new swim season with the Grand Forks Piranhas Swim Club on May 2. Registrations are little higher than last year with almost 50 participants and include swimmers ranging in age from four years old to adult.
One of the biggest changes is the increase in young swimmers. The novice division has 11 children registered, compared to the fewer than five last year. Swim club president Laura Lewis says it is exciting to see young children interested because it builds a strong base for the club’s future.
The Piranhas also have a new head coach this year, Samantta Villanueva, who spent four years as the Trail Stingrays’ head coach.
“I’m really excited to be here in Grand Forks this year,” said Villanueva. “I’m looking forward to sharing my love of swimming with the team and setting up a strong foundation of swimming technique.”
Villanueve has set club goals, which include improving technique for all four strokes (breast, back, butterfly and freestyle), to have the best cheer at swim meets and for 20 per cent of swimmers to qualify for the provincial championships.
The swim team will be going to seven regional meets this year, the first of which was in Trail over the weekend. The farthest the swimmers will travel is to Kimberley at the end of July. In August, there will be a regional meet in Nelson, followed by the provincial meet in Kamloops.
One local meet is held each year at the Grand Forks Aquatic Centre. This is called a “B” meet and is a low-key way for swimmers to get an introduction into swim meets or practice their competitive skills. This year, that meet is on June 11.
It’s not too late to join the club. Swimmers that missed out on the main registration event can join at any time up until July and the cost will be adjusted accordingly.
Anyone on the fence about joining can do a $5 trial, which allows them five sessions of swimming to decide if the program is for them. In order to join, swimmers must be able to swim one length of the pool unassisted.
For more information about the swim club, email piranhasprez@gmail.com.