The Nanaimo Riptides swim team are using Westwood Lake as a new base of operations to provide training for select age groups and abilities. (Dan Marshall/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

JUST KEEP SWIMMING

Nanaimo Riptides stay afloat during COVID-19 shutdown of pool facilities

Jul 24, 2020 | 6:18 AM

NANAIMO — Local, elite swimmers are still getting their laps in despite area pools shuttering due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Nanaimo Riptides swimming club has set up at Westwood Lake, running sessions multiple times per week for 30 of its high level swimmers aged 11 and up.

Bailey Munroe, assistant head coach for the Riptides, said the open water provides a different backdrop and new challenges for swim training.

“There’s longer swims, shorter little sprint distances, you can do runners off the beach to learn how to carry your speed…it really is a fun environment where you can try and bunch of things out and get a well rounded training program,” Munroe said.

The return to the water in late June ended an approximately 100 day pause on normal operations. Coaches kept in contact in the spring through online conferencing, but the closure of pools and mandate to physically distance meant many in-person sessions were cancelled.

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The club is hoping to ramp up operations through the summer. It plans to continue training at Westwood Lake until the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre opens.

The Riptides are in a good position where we’re able to be a little more self sufficient,” Munroe said. “We’ve got strong numbers and all the equipment and volunteer base to be able to run time trials.”

Club trials will provide some much-needed competition experience for swimming who have had swim meets and Olympic qualifiers postponed or cancelled.

“It may be January when swim meets start up again, maybe later than that. This season, having everything shut down around March, that was the month where we were to have the Olympic trials and decide the Olympic team.”

Munroe noted there are currently no plans for the city to open the outdoor pool at Bowen Park.

He added the NAC could potentially see limited use in the fall, but nothing had been decided yet.

–with files from Dan Marshall

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley