Sometimes success is measured differently.
That’s the case for the four Athabasca Rapids Swim Club athletes that competed in the Northern Age Group Regional meet held at the Kinsmen Sports Centre in Edmonton on Feb. 27 to Mar. 1.
Makayla Sheppard, Bo Meier, Taylor Sheppard, and Avery Kamelchuk previously qualified for the meet.
While none of them were able to reach the podium, each swimmer set new marks in their own personal best record books.
Out of 28 individual swims, the four athletes achieved 18 personal best times.
Bo Meier in the boys 11-year-old and under division clocked six new personal bests. Among those were a 12 second improvement in his 200m individual medley (IM) and a jump of seven seconds in his 100m freestyle time.
Meier made one final, the 200 IM, but ended up being disqualified during the race.
Taylor Sheppard hit six personal bests as well, but accomplished something most swimmers would love to do – she reached a personal best twice in two different events. She clocked new record times in qualifying and in the finals of both girls 10-year-old and under 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle.
In the two finals she reached, Taylor finished eighth in both races.
In the 9-year-old and under girls division, Avery Kamelchuk also bested her previous time in the 50m backstroke twice, once in qualifying as well as in the final. In addition she improved her personal best in the 100m breaststroke.
Kamelchuk wound up seventh in the 50m backstroke final.
Makayla Sheppard ended up with new personal bests in the 50m backstroke, 200m IM and 200m freestyle in the 12-year-old girls division.
Coach Steve Splinter was pleased each athlete’s performance, noting only Makayla Sheppard had previous experience at this level of competition.
On Wednesday, the Rapids are holding their annual Swim-a-thon fundraising event at the Landing Pool starting at 3:45 p.m.
Swimmers will attempt to complete as many laps as possible in 75 minutes in order to raise as much money as they can. They have been collecting pledges for the last few weeks and will continue until Mar. 21.
The money raised will go toward assisting with club costs.
