Over 470 athletes have registered to compete in the Nanaimo White Rapids Swim Club Invitational Swim Meet, happening from June 27-29 at Kin Pool at Bowen Park. (Nanaimo White Rapids Swim Club)

By Jordan Davidson

large swim meet

Annual invitational swim meet brings top young swimmers to Nanaimo

Jun 27, 2025 | 12:19 PM

NANAIMO — Around 500 swimmers from across Vancouver Island and the mainland are in the Harbour City this weekend for an annual swim meet.

The Nanaimo White Rapids Swim Club Invitational Swim Meet starts on Friday, June 27 and runs through Sunday at Bowen Park’s outdoor Kin Pool complex.

Nanaimo White Rapids club president Jaclyn Cleary said their annual meet will feature races as swimmers push to achieve personal bests.

“Especially for those recent graduates, this is a big year for them to have sort of their last year of high school-aged swimming, a big summer before their next post-school adventures. And it’s always a delight to get to swim in your own pool, like to compete against other clubs in your own pool,” Clearly told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Swimmers range in age from five-years-old in the novice category to 18-19-year-olds, as well as a Master category.

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Swimmers can use the meet to improve their times and move up in the swimming world with their best times, something on their minds during the regular season.

But as Cleary explains, it’s technically not a regional qualifier weekend.

“We kind of think about summer swimming, all of the regular season events are in preparation for that regional meet, and so, some swimmers might be really trying to get personal bests at this Nanaimo meet because it’s a three-day meet, and because there’s heats and finals, and if they do exceptionally well once they get to regionals, then you can pre-qualify for provincials.”

The swimming heats start at noon on Friday, June 27, with the finals expected on Sunday afternoon. (Nanaimo White Rapids Swim Club)

She said a tremendous amount of volunteers go into making events like this possible, with parents and swim club members volunteering their time supporting other swim clubs as well.

Around 200 volunteers are required to pull off the large Nanaimo swim meet.

“We have security, safety marshals, concessions, raffles and 50/50 draws, and then we have all the stages of the swim meet: marshalling, officials and referees; those are all volunteer positions.”

Cleary said learning how to swim is an important safety concern for residents of Island communities, and it can quickly turn into a life-long passion, with the veteran teen swimmers regularly taking younger athletes under their wing in mentorship roles.

She said recent excitement around swimming and locals picking up Olympic medals, such as Parksville-born Paralympian gold and silver medalist Nicholas Bennett and three-time and silver medalist Summer McIntosh, with several Nanaimo swim club members going down to the Commonwealth Pool in Victoria recently to watch her complete.

“We also had a few Nanaimo swimmers who were at that Canadian qualifying meet, swimmers who started out in our club and have gone on to swim with Swim Canada. It’s phenomenal to have the Nick Bennetts and the others of our club of Nanaimo that either are really motivated by these big events, or who also get the opportunity to participate.”

More information on the Nanaimo swim meet can be found here.

— with files from Dan Marshall

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