February Newsletter
ELK VALLEY DOLPHINS
Letter from Coach Aidan:
Wow! What a full and exciting couple of months. We’ve been so busy that we were almost too busy to get out a February newsletter. We started off the year with a competition in Calgary and had an impressive stack of best times from all the swimmers as well as several swimmers making their way into the finals and even some podium finishes.
A few swimmers had not yet qualified for Montana State Championships but were within range, so we held a time trial to give them one last shot. That proved hugely successful, leading to five new qualifiers (Noah Dodds, Nate Dodds, Brody Dube, Katherine Hafke, and Atley Nelson). Also, Noah Dodds set a club record in the 11 & under 50 back!
The following week we held another competition at our local pool, this time a fun meet for the Pups and Green Pod swimmers. We so enjoyed watching the little ones race – a great experience for everyone! Big thanks to all the parent volunteers who help make these local race days possible.
On the weekend of February 18th, ten Dolphins made the trek to Hardin, Montana to compete in Montana State Championships. We’re grateful to the parents willing to make the nine-and-a-half-hour trip. The athletes had such a wonderful experience. We noticed a big difference in the competition atmosphere across the border: the whole building abuzz with energy, tunes cranked, and swimmers/parents/officials frequently breaking into dance. Our swimmers did amazing! In the 10 & under group, both our competitors (Emilie Harrup and Layal Rella) made the finals and came home with the medals awarded to the top eight. Layla Rella cracked the top three in 100 fly, 50 fly, 50 free, and 50 back
Our 11 & over swimmers also had great successes. All three of our seniors ranked top three – Kiera Hansen in the 200 fly and 400 IM; Leah Soetaert in the 50 back, 50 free, 50 fly, and 100 back; and Olivia Howse in the 50 back, 50 free, 200 free, and 100 back. Big congratulations to all qualifiers!
We also had a lot of fun with team dinners, group bowling, lots of adventures, and a bit of silliness.
Hardin will definitely be a trip to remember.
We’d love to see more swimmers joining in for the travel fun. Competitions work as a great reward for all the hard training we put in at the Fernie Aquatic Centre. Be sure to keep your eye on the events page Elk Valley Dolphins Swim Club | Events (evdsc.com) and sign your athlete up for some meets.
Even our Masters swimmers did a bit of competing this month. Coach Angie went to a meet in Cochrane and came home with first place in all five of her events. She intends to swim in Masters Alberta provincials in Edmonton in March and Masters Nationals in Calgary in May. Those events are also included in the link above. If any other Masters swimmers are interested in going, please let us know. You’ll have fun: we promise!
In the middle of all these meets, we also had a visit from an Olympian! Several of our swimmers got tips on faster freestyle, better turns, and stronger dives from four-time Olympian Brent Hayden. Normally, this clinic would have cost each of the swimmers over 100 dollars, but with funds from Swim BC, our swimmers paid only 35$. Brent’s technical tips were excellent, and he inspired all our swimmers. We can’t stress enough the value of this experience.
The following week Olympian Martha McCabe was in town for Fernie Pride. While the Dolphins were not officially involved in this event, some of our swimmers (and a coach!) did take the opportunity to meet Martha and see her gold medal for the 200 breast at World Championships. Another inspiring moment!
Finally, huge congratulations to our multi-sport athlete Maddox Johnson who won BC Provincials in Alpine Skiing and will be competing for BC in Canada Games this week. Watch for him on CBC Gem (Feb 28th Super G, March 1st GS, March 2 SL, and March 5 Ski Cross). Go, Maddox! We’re so proud of you!
Great work, Dolphins! Let’s keep this momentum going through the end of the short course season. Leah Soetaert and Olivia Howse will be competing at Alberta provincials in March. Another group of swimmers will be attending Junior Manitoba/Saskatchewan Provincials in Moose Jaw. The upcoming meets in Cranbrook and Nelson will be excellent chances for everyone to compete. Looking forward to more successes – and more fun! – in the pool.
Dolphins in the News
2023 off to Great Start for Dolphins - The Free Press
Fernie swimmer ranked first in Canada - The Free Press
**Watch this week’s paper for details on Montana State Championships**
SWIM MEETS: A reminder to sign in to https://www.evdsc.com/ and "Declare" your swimmers for any final meets they intend to attend. After you press declare, another screen will pop up with a choice of buttons. Please choose Accept or Decline.
Social Media: Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for oodles of adorable pictures. Thanks to Communications Director Christy Nguyen for all the hard work and for getting such great pictures.
Clothing Swap Check out the Elk Valley Dolphins Gear and Clothes Swap Group on Facebook. Are you looking for some gear or clothes for your swimmer? Do you have gently used gear or clothing that have been outgrown? That’s your place!
Contacts
Aidan Chudleigh - headcoach@evdsc.com (cell: 250-946-7472)
Spencer Robertson – coachspencer@evdsc.com
Angie Abdou – coachangie@evdsc.com
General inquiries info@evdsc.com
Registration questions registrar@evdsc.com
Equipment and clothing orders equipment@evdsc.com
**Please feel welcome to contact us with any questions or concerns at all!**
You can also catch coaches outside the Fernie Aquatic Centre before or after practice.
