Moose Jaw -
The Moose Jaw contingent at the Man/Sask swimming championship in Regina only numbered four, but they found plenty of success this weekend.
Joyce Arends, 12, Lauran Armbruster, 11, Libby Epoch, 10, and Krystal Shaw, 15, all attended the event, with each competing in six events. All four swimmers collected personal best times, while Arends and Armbruster also posted some provincial bests.
"It was remarkable," said Moose Jaw Kinsmen Flying Fins coach Monty Smith. "I had goosebumps. When the kids (work hard) at a meet and have fun, I just get goosebumps on my arm after every race."
The meet draws hundreds athletes from across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as some from other provinces. Smith was impressed with how relaxed the girls were in that environment.
"These four girls were swimming there with hundreds of other kids . . . and in the middle of all that chaos, they still had so much fun," he said. "When I see swimmers having fun at what they enjoy doing, that makes me enjoy what I do even more."
Arends posted two AA provincial best times, impressively, for the 13- and 14-year-old age categories. Armbruster had three AA times for the 12-year-old category, as well as two additional personal best results. Epoch collected two personal bests, one of which was 0.82 seconds shy of a AA time for 11-year-olds. Shaw, meanwhile, collected a bronze medal, posted personal bests in all six of her events, and beat Can-Am/East-West time standards with two of her results.
Smith is pleased with the results of his girls, but quickly points out that the numbers aren't what matters to him.
"Overall - the times, standards, all that aside - when I see them having fun that's what's really important," said the coach.
Next, Smith and Shaw will head to Montreal for a SWAD (Swimmers With A Disability) meet in early May.
"This will be a fun event for her and for myself, and hopefully this is just the doorway to other meets around the world," said Smith.
The benefit of the event, according to the coach, is that it will give Shaw an opportunity to meet and compete against other disabled swimmers. Currently, she largely competes against able-bodied swimmers - and her results are admirable, says Smith.
"All her races were against able bodies (at Man/Sask)," he said. "When she's racing against them, it's astounding because she can't use her legs, but she still flies like she (can).
"Now she gets to work with other swimmers who have a physical disability, but they're here to swim just like anyone else."
Taylor Lambert can be reached at 691-1260.
