A Celebration of Lorna (Retiring) continued...

In January, to celebrate Lorna's retirement, we highlighted some memories supplied by our current Varsity athletes. For Feburary we are on to our Alumni group. These are past swimmers that have moved on from swimming that still feel the ripples of Lorna's teaching and influence in their lives today. For some extra flavour this month we even have some old pictures of these swimmers and of Lorna over on our Instragram. 

Lorna was my first coach when I started swim club in 1984 as an 8-year-old.  I remember Lorna as a strong, warm presence on deck. She had a firm focus on technique, which I carried with me through my swimming career.  She also had the most marvellously practical way of dealing with gaggles of small kids, half of us with our bathing suits on backwards, caps on sideways and goggles full of water, from making us get out of the pool after every lap in practice so we could actually hear her, to talking us through what things we needed to bring before every meet.

Lorna has been instrumental in providing a solid foundation in competitive swimming to so many kids in Calgary over the course of her career.  Her retirement will leave big shoes to fill and she will be sorely missed.

-Jessica Amey

Lorna’s fingerprints are all over my life and in many ways beyond swimming. From teaching me the best solution for solving hiccups, to being a major part of my rehabilitation after an injury, to introducing me to key people in my life - Lorna has had a big impact.  And then, after 20 years of not being in contact, I make one phone call to the swim office to ask a question, and to my delight Lorna was there, paving my way again! I am thrilled that my kids have also had the privilege of being coached by Lorna and that they have been lucky enough to have her guidance and influence – every time she tells them to carry their own stuff my smile gets a little bit bigger! 

Lorna’s passion for sport and youth is truly remarkable and the swim community is most fortunate to have her as part of the family. 

-Patti Peck

What to say about Lorna. Wow. I can’t think of too many people in my life that have had such a direct effect on my life outside of close family. When I was 10 years old I moved from Cranbrook to Calgary and joined UCSC. Lorna Snow was my coach and my first introduction to the club that would be a huge part of my life for the next 23 years. Even at 10, I knew that Lorna was not someone that would let me get away with very much. But as much of a taskmaster that she was then (and now I might add), you could instantly tell that coaching was her passion and that she was in her element. The years I swam with Lorna, were life changing. She taught me goal setting, discipline, and focus. She was also extremely caring and observant, obviously focused on making the swimmer a better swimmer but also equally focused on making the swimmer a better person. My swimming career with the club advanced but I never forgot about the lessons Lorna taught me and she was always a staple in the office. She would always say hi when she saw me and she always remembered my birthday (me and everyone else, how she did this is a mystery in itself). When I finally decided to end my career as a swimmer and move on to other things, Lorna changed my life once again with a phone call asking me if I would like to coach. I thought to myself that I would not be a very good coach because I really didn’t like children that much but It’s no surprise that Lorna knew me better than I knew myself. Coaching under Lorna was infinitely more stressful than swimming under her. Soooo much pressure. It was clear once again that I would not be getting away with very much. Lorna was a hard boss. Looking back on it now, I realize that it was her passion and her intensity that kept me coming back when I wanted to walk away. It was my trust and respect in her too. She saw something in me when I was 10, and again when I was 17 and if she wasn’t so strict with me and so focused on making me the best coach I could possibly be, then I know I would have gotten bored with the job and moved on from it. Outside of the club Lorna became a huge support for me. She helped me through a lot of personal trouble and has always been like a second mother to me. She helped me to become a better coach and instilled in me a passion that I have to this day about coaching. I know her passion for coaching is contagious too because so many of her swimmers, continued to be amazing coaches. She clearly was on to something here. I remember her telling me early on that you’re not only coaching the swimmer, you’re coaching the person. Lorna has been a staple in the club, and a staple in my life. I am so proud to have known her in both a personal and professional capacity and I’m looking forward to many more years of conversations about life and the pool. What an amazing woman, amazing coach, and an amazing career she has had. The thousands of people she has helped, shaped and coached, and the lives she has changed. I will be forever changed by the moments we shared on the pool deck and the person she helped me become. Thank you Lorna from the bottom of my heart for your years of service to something so much bigger than you and I and all the time you have taken to make this club so successful. We will all miss seeing your bright face around the deck and I know I will be forever grateful.

-Greg Parsons