The Slave Lake Sharks swimming club are wrapping up one of the busiest and most successful seasons in club history, with record membership, new training styles, and a growing list of swimmers preparing for the championship portion of the summer swim season.

With 67 registered swimmers, the Sharks are now the largest summer swim club in Region A, surpassing larger centres such as Grande Prairie.
For Sharks board member Paula Leighton, the club’s success extends far beyond the number of swimmers in the pool.

“We’re very happy about that,” Leighton says. “Our kids work hard, they have fun, and it’s a very strong team.”

A season of growth

Leighton credits much of the club’s progress to its athletes, coaches and volunteers, all of whom have worked together throughout the season.
This year, the Sharks introduced several new initiatives, including dryland stretching sessions led by Ula Naszynska-Spitzer from Active Rehabilitation before the club’s home meet.

The sessions helped swimmers learn proper warm-up techniques while also serving as a team-building activity between the club’s older swimmers and its younger teams.

The coaching staff also expanded its approach by assigning coaches to specialize in different strokes, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Swimmers have also spent more time practicing individual medley events as they prepare for higher levels of competition, says Leighton.

Opportunities beyond the pool

Leighton says exposing swimmers to new experiences has become one of the club’s priorities.
Three Sharks attended a University of Alberta summer swimming camp, while Cobie Gall and Carys Williams earned the opportunity to try out for the Alberta Summer Games.

“It’s already a very big step,” Leighton says of the Alberta Summer Games tryouts.
Leighton hopes to build on that momentum by expanding dryland activities, inviting guest clinicians and attending swim meets outside Region A during weekends when the regional schedule allows.

Success measured one race at a time

For co-head coach Jennifer Taylor, the club’s greatest achievements are not always reflected in medals.

Taylor, who has coached with the Sharks since 2013, says this is the largest club she has seen during her time with the organization. The six-member coaching staff works together to train swimmers ranging from six-and-under to adults, with practices running Monday through Thursday.

Rather than focusing solely on results, Taylor encourages swimmers to chase personal bests.

“Their goal is to beat their time,” she says. “If I can help them do that, that’s what it’s about.”

Taylor says some of her proudest moments come from watching swimmers quietly improve after months of consistent effort.

“They might not get a medal and they might not get a ribbon, but they beat their time,” she says. “That’s what it’s about.”

Looking ahead

The Sharks will send 35 swimmers to High Prairie for their final regular-season meet before turning their attention to the ASSA Regional Championships in August.

Swimmers who earn top finishes at regionals will qualify for provincials at Edmonton’s Kinsmen Sports Centre.
Taylor says qualifying for provincials is about more than competition.

“It’s about getting as many kids there as we can so they can experience that,” she says.

Taylor shares that the provincial meet attracts roughly 3,000 athletes from across Alberta.
Both Leighton and Taylor agree the Sharks’ greatest strength is the culture the club has built.

“It’s definitely a team effort,” Leighton says. “It’s not just about the kids. It’s the coaches and the parents that make it worthwhile.”
Coach Taylor says that the kids are always cheering each other on.

“It’s a different sort of team,” Taylor says.
More stories about the Sharks are coming soon in the Leader.

Julia Magsombol
Lakeside Leader