TREX in Fernie!

The Fernie Fox Invitational April 19-21 was a fantastic meet in many ways.  Swimmers from all three TREX squads attended and UCSC represented in both the morning (10 & under) and afternoon (11 & over) sessions showing their speed, sportsmanship, and strength.  

Friday afternoon, after the bus ride to Fernie and checking into the lodge, the swimmers jumped into the pool for warm up and swam their 400 freestyles and/or 200 free, back or breaststrokes, and 4x50 medley relays. It was a full afternoon session of many best times, first experiences and a great start to the meet.

Saturday morning session started off with one best time after another for TREX swimmers in 100m freestyles.  What a great way to wake up!  Both Saturday sessions included 4x50 free relays, super for young swimmers who don't often get a chance to race relays.  At the end of the Saturday afternoon session the 10 & unders returned to either race or cheer on teammates in the "SKINS" elimination 25s races.  Leo, Luna, Penny, Simon and Jack represented the Dinos in these fast and fun 25s amidst LOUD cheering and tons of high fives and smiles.  Leo and Penny winning their final 25s for their team.

Sunday's sessions saw especially good swims after a very late night for some of the swimmers. Abiding by the rules of team travel and staying true to the contract that all of the swimmers sign before boarding the bus is a vital part of attending a meet like Fernie. So, while just about everyone was running on less sleep than usual and some swimmers catnapped between events, the "UCSC Best Time" poster is full of autographs, and the team spirit was palpable as everyone cheered for one another with hoarse voices. 

We are proud of our TREX swimmers for faring quite well on their first "away" meet.  Riding on the buses between sessions, eating meals as a group, navigating relationships with teammates and negotiating bedtimes all factored in and showed us that these young swimmers can turn on their focus, manage emotions, communicate well and have a great time together.  

Thanks to the chaperones, coaches and to the Elk Valley Dolphins Swim Club and all of the officials for the chance for TREX to show their Dino Pride in the Kootenays! 

Photo: D. Palmer