Neptune Wrap Up

The last meet to start in this cycle was the Neptune 1-2-3 Go Invitational, held in Montreal at the 1976 Olympic pool. 48 Dino swimmers were in attendance and it was a great way to wrap up the second part of the season.

From start to finish this was a different experience for the team. For many, it was their first time at this pool or racing in Quebec. For all the swimmers, having the officials and starter speak French (“A Vos Marques”) was a fun change. And the format or the meet (order of events, changes in schedule, less cool down than planned, etc.) was different than they were used to. The swimmers walked to and from the pool each session and had to work together to travel in groups. Overall, the team had to be very adaptable and resourceful through all these differences.

A great part of racing in a different province is being exposed to different competitors. Our team got to know new swimmers from Quebec and got to race athletes who are new to them.

For all the swimmers this was either their second or third competition of the month, so standing up again to race was challenging at times, but the progression from heats to finals was excellent, with many beating their best times set just a few weeks earlier.

The team really came together through the weekend and showed more spirit and support for each other as the weekend progressed. The relays added to the team fun as we split them up to add competition and excitement. Finally, the weekend ended off with a trip to a Montreal tradition of poutine at Poutine Centrale – a delicious finish for all!

Overall, it was a great weekend for the team where they took another big step forward in their progression. We were very fortunate to have a great host team in Neptune Natation and hopefully we will be back to Montreal again soon!