The Cochrane Comets Swim Club is off to the Alberta Summer Games in Okotoks this week and the athletes are pumped.
The Games are slated for Okotoks and Black Diamond from July 20 to 23.
At first, at 11:12 am on Monday, Hudson Blough’s mom Abby said he wasn’t available for an interview yet because “he’s still in bed – he’s a teenager.”
When the 14-year-old finally roused from his slumber, he said he was excited about competing in his first Summer Games.
“It has been fun to continue training through the summer with my teammates.” Blough said. “I’m looking forward to competing and the challenge it presents.”
The other Comets swimming for Zone 2 (which encompasses Cochrane, Airdrie, Okotoks, and other communities in south-central Alberta) are Cochrane’s Emily Pegg, 15, Hudson Lee, 15, Christian Huh, 11, and Joanna Kostrzewsa, 12.
Comets coach and executive director Danielle Genung said one of the reasons the Alberta Summer Games are so exciting for the athletes is they get to experience an Olympics-inspired “games experience” for the first time, which includes all aspects of competing. These include an opening ceremonies, travelling, eating, sleeping, and living with their teammates at an “athletes’ village” for the duration of the three-day event.
“It will be a really cool experience for our swimmers,” she said. “This is separate from their regular season – they get to go and experience opening ceremonies, and watch other athletes participate in other sports, and experience a different coach, a different environment, and new teammates.”
All of this is good for the swimmers and coaches, Genung added.
“It’s really good for kids to be with other coaches as well, so everybody wins in that scenario,” she said.
She said Blough and Pegg in particular are having good years in the pool.
“Hudson and Emily are both showing promise for what their seasons are going to look like for next year, and both will be going to the summer provincials at the end of the month,” she said.
Swimmers interested in competing at the Summer Games had to indicate their intentions and then qualify over the course of the year-round season, which is no small feat, Genung said.
“So we’re different from a summer club, so that’s who we are and where we sit in the world of swimming,” she explained.
The top three Zone 2 swimmers in each event and age group qualified to compete in Okotoks.
While not exactly a typical summer camp experience, Genung said the kids are excited about the social aspect as well.
“They’re excited to go together as the Comets but they’re also excited because they have friends going from other clubs, so it’s a pretty fun experience for them,” she said.
“Sleeping on a high school gym floor,” she laughed, “It’s like camping out.
“It’s definitely going to be the full "Games" experience – it’s going to be pretty cool for them.”
