The Grand Forks Piranhas Swim Club hosted its first swim meet after two years of COVID-19 pandemic.
The local group won the competition by eight points.
Seven swim teams from around the Kootenay region met at the Grand Forks aquatic centre on Sunday, June 5.
Swimmers of all ages, some as young as four, participated in competitive races. A total of 105 swimmers hit the water.
Swim meets were not held in 2021 and 2020 due to pandemic restrictions, and club president Laura Lewis said the 2018 meet was also cancelled due to flooding.
Every team in the region is hosting a meet this season. At the end of the season, a regional swim meet will be held.
Lewis said many new families joined Piranhas this year, and the team receives much support from community businesses and volunteers.
“We had a lot of community businesses donate to our silent auction, which was really successful. A swim meet is an expensive thing to host, and requires so much volunteer effort,” Lewis said. “We felt a lot of support from the community. It was our best turnout ever for volunteer efforts from our own club.”
The Piranhas swim club has been active since the 1980’s.
The team practices four to seven times per week, depending on age. In summer, the team also participates in dry-land training.
Lewis said swim meets are a great opportunity for kids to socialize and connect.
“They get to spend a lot of the day just hanging out with their friends, so they really enjoy swim meets.”
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@audreyygunn
editor@grandforksgazette.ca
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