The feelings and thoughts are still indescribable six weeks later. For Moose Jaw’s Lauran Armbruster, it was the experience of a lifetime as she was chosen to be a part of the Prospects West Swim Camp and travel to Montreal in late March.
“It was a crazy experience,” said Armbruster. “The whole thing is just indescribable.”
Not only was it her first training camp experience, but also the 14-year old’s first time on a plane and being away from her family. Although she got a bit homesick, she was able to focus on her training and met other swimmers from around the country.
“I just kept telling myself that I worked so hard to get here and I try hard all the time,” she said. “I was upset because people were so much faster than I was, but I knew going in that there would be faster competition and there always is fastest competition.”
The province of Saskatchewan only sent eight female and eight male swimmers in the age 13-14 categories to the camp and Armbruster was chosen based on her speed and FINA points.
“To be chosen to be in the that eight is just such a great opportunity and I was just happy to get the call,” she said. “To be picked was mind-blowing, to be considered one of the fastest was a great feeling.”
Even though she trains six days a week already, the camp instructors had all the prospects training every day, twice a day. However, being at the camp made her realize her dreams and she knows that there is more hard work ahead of her if she wants to achieve those goals.
“I was exhausting because I’m not used to it, but it was worth it and I made so many memories,” Armbruster said. “A lot of the girls I saw race were at the meets I was at and to see them go from training to more than I do, but to see them go from where I am now to the Olympic trials and be there…to go to this camp is one of my biggest achievements I’ve had so far.”
For more on this story, read an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
Way to go Kiddo!! You should be proud of all the hard work you have accomplished! Keep it up! Cam