Lorna's Retirement (continued...)
The final installment of our tributes to Lorna. For March and April we had current athletes in UCSC from 12 to 18 years of age share their memories and appreciation of Lorna.
In my first year of swimming, I was the only kid who couldn’t breaststroke kick. So, Lorna took me to the dive tank and had me swim back and forth until I understood how to swim breaststroke. By the end, my legs hurt, and tears were streaming out of my goggles. When Lorna saw, she comforted me and said that I should be proud because I just learned how to swim breaststroke. And even though I am no breaststroke star, I can credit my breaststroke kick to Lorna.
-Rosie Housman
Lorna was my first coach when I joined the club at 6 years old, and I still find myself adhering to her teachings today as I finish my last year in the program. She was a firm and a kind mentor to me as I was introduced to the sport that has largely shaped the person I am today. It was clear to me as a child that Lorna was very wise and that her lessons were valuable, and as I reflect on my memories of her coaching style I realize how instrumental her mentorship was to the atmosphere of hard work and determination found throughout all age groups in the club. What stood out to me about Lorna’s coaching style is how invested she was in each of her swimmers’ development both athletically and behaviourally. When I was in the Churchill group, I remember always standing in a neat single file line to get Lorna’s feedback after a race. She would talk to every swimmer about how they felt the race went, and on special occasions we would be awarded with a tiny plastic dinosaur – the highest level of praise in the sport! We all truly felt that Coach Lorna cared, and we wanted to make her proud by being the best swimmers we could be. Coach Lorna has created a strong base for UCSC’s entire age group program throughout her career, and the values she has instilled in each and every one of her swimmers will carry them through life’s challenges in and out of the pool. Thank you for everything Lorna and I wish you all the best in retirement!
-Alicia L’Archeveque
My memory of Lorna was on a particularly sad day when my hamster died. I was struggling to even walk on deck for practice because I was so upset. When I finally did appear, Lorna sternly asked why I was late. I explained had just lost my hamster. At that moment, Lorna showed her caring side and told me she understood. She had a hamster herself as a small girl and knew how sad it was when you lost your pet. It was a special moment I was able to share with Lorna. And off I went into the pool with her encouragement. Thank you, Lorna. I am grateful for the lessons of ‘chin up and move forward.’
-Lola Macdonald
My first memories of coach Lorna was a couple of days after I joined the club. She happened to overhear me asking my mom to help me put my swim cap on. She walked towards us like an angle on a mission.
“Ahmad,” she said “your mother is not the one training to swim. Everything relating to your swimming is your responsibility. You will NOT ask your mom for help. You will learn to do it by yourself, and if you fail you try and try again. Now go and see if you can put your cap on”. To a six year old this was a terrifying experience. For a long time I was- and to be brutally honest still am- terrified of Coach Lorna. But that did not prevent me from appreciating her not only as a coach, but as a loving, genuine and funny person who has only the best interest of her swimmers at heart. She taught me to believe in myself, to deal with difficulties that might come my way in a straight forward no nonsense fashion. She taught me to laugh at myself, to never give up. Most importantly she taught me that what I felt when I see her on deck or anywhere for that matter was not fear, but affection and utter and deep respect for her. She will be sorely missed by my siblings and I.
-Ahmad Kinawi
Coach Lorna helped me with a lot of the beginner level corrective errors that I made. It allowed me to progress through to the higher levels with a good understanding of the lower level techniques.
-Evan Wang
Coach Lorna was a great coach and helped get the basics down for swim. She also gave really good advice to improve your technique.
-Ezra Canji
I always enjoyed how she never endured bad habits like pulling on the lane rope or standing on the bottom.
-Matthew Longino
Dear Coach Lorna,
Thank you for making me a great swimmer. I hope you have a great retirement.
-Matteo Chan
When I was 7, I won the Dino Cup for my age group. I remember my younger self grinning while Coach Lorna put a medal on me and gave me a special t-shirt. The feeling of coming first in a swim meet was thrilling and exciting, and I am positive that this core memory wouldn't have occurred without Lorna's support.
Lorna has been an integral part of my swimming journey. From my first year of swimming in Churchill 1 all the way to now, she has established not only a strong foundation in my swimming skills, but also a love for the sport that will persist for years to come. I sincerely thank her for all that she has done, and I am extremely grateful for having a coach that genuinely cared about helping children grow and prosper.
Thank you,
-Conan Li
I will always remember how you made me swim the 800 free after we were late 8 min. Thank you Lorna. You made me improve.
-Joe Dong
Dear Coach Lorna,
We are all very sad for your retirement. You were the “mother” of all swimmers and you have shaped me into the swimmer I am today. You have taught me the value of working hard and a purpose of swimming. I hope you have a great retirement!
Yours Truly,
-Tyrone Chen
Lorna has always been a wonderful Coach to me and I'm really going to miss her when she retires. My favourite memories of her have always been how she helped me a lot with my swims showing me how to properly swim on my Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly. A lot of the ways she showed me how to swim are what I use now. I really loved having Coach Lorna as one of my coaches and I think she deserves a good rest.
-Callahan Leask
Dear Coach Lorna
The thing I remember the most from my CH days was when we showed up on deck and saw all the Dinos, meaning that it will be 400Free day! We always had to swim a better time than last time, otherwise, we’ll have to swim it again. Thanks for teaching me to always try to do better than before and keep improving myself.
-Jeffery Cheung
One of my favorite moments in Churchill 3 and with Lorna, was when I just joined in April and she introduced me to the entire squad. Another amazing moment with Lorna, was when she helped me on my races and reminded me of the techniques, but also gave me encouragement. It's unbelievable to see how all these years of swimming, and Lorna built me up. I believe all the kids that were in her group came out developing a good swimming career.
-Chris Zhang
We are so sad that you are retiring from being a head coach in UCSC. You are always an amazing head coach! Thank you for your encouragement and comments throughout the past years; Thank you for organizing free swim & parties & apparatus exchanges for us; Thank you for writing nice letters to support my sisters' service hours for their school. We wish you all the best for your retirement. You will be deeply missed!
Cheers,
-Yikai Yang's family
I Just want to say thanks to coach Lorna for coaching me. I also want to say thanks to her for teaching me some swimming techniques that helped me and made me faster. I still use some of the techniques today and it is helping me swim faster. Although I only had her for half season, I really enjoyed of my time there. I just want to say thanks for being a great coach to me.
Thanks,
-Andy Hu
Coach Lorna was always smiling & happy to see me on deck for practice and it made me feel good.
-Luca Zaher
I remember when I was young me and some of my friends were 8 minutes late and you made us do 800 meters. It is a fun memory that I will always remember.
-Alankrit Kapur
I still have the dinosaurs. Thanks!
-Liam Pumphrey
Thank you for being such a wonderful coach. I will always remember you.
-Matthew Du
I hope you do well in retirement.
-William Wang