Piranhas are back in the water at Panorama Recreation Centre but that’s no reason to stay out of the deep end.
The Piranhas Swim Club resumed practices on May 3, the start to their summer season. Club president Marie Truong says even though the swimmers are already getting their feet wet, they won’t turn away any child who wants to swim with the group.
A summer swim club, the Piranhas are 72 strong and practice up to five hours each week. During the winter months, explained Truong, club members could only swim a maximum of two hours a week. Any more and a swimmer would be considered part of the open categories at competitions.
The Piranhas will be taking part in eight swim meets this summer, including a home event July 12 and 13 at Panorama. It’s for these competitive events that the coaches are getting their swimmers ready. Regionals take place at Commonwealth Pool this year and, overall, the season is short.
“It’s essentially a three-month season,” Truong said.
Even so, she said the club is a great community of swimmers and their families — and that’s the reason she got involved three years ago and is the president this year.
The club itself has been around since 1979, making this their 35th anniversary, says board member Alan Jackson. He has been with the club since 1998 when his own kids got involved and has done a variety of jobs for the club, including acting as its treasurer.
“It is a fun club,” said Truong. “We do have competitive swimmers and some of their goals are to make the provincials. But we won’t turn away any child who wants to try swimming.”
Swimmers are placed in divisions based on age groups and they compete against others in those categories. Truong said the club hopes to get 28 or 30 kids to provincials this year.