‘Rock Star’ athletes break in new aquatic center

By Taylor Busch

With the help of their hometown cheering them on, eight swimmers from Windsor placed fourth overall in swimming competitions at the International Children’s Games in August.

Andrei Semenov has been coaching the Windsor Essex Swim Team for 11 years and is not new to the Games. He said he was very happy and excited for his students when he was told the city would be hosting the Games after a six-year process that led to Windsor being chosen over Chicago. The students who participated ranged in age from 12 to 15 and won one gold, four silvers, and one bronze in single competitions as well as one additional silver in relay.

“It was a good opportunity for our kids to race against people from different countries,” said Cord Kitson, co-coordinator of the swimming portion of the games. “(They can) see what other countries are doing for training, how fast they are, get international experience and be involved in pressure situations.”

Kitson also said the new Family Aquatic Complex where the swimmers competed will, “benefit swimming not just for club swimming but for everyone in the city.”

Aaron Norg, 15, did not win any medals at last year’s International Children’s Games in Daegu, South Korea, but won three silver medals this year for Canada.

“It was great to know that we’d be the hometown with the home crowd,” said Norg.

Many Windsor competitors and volunteers said the new aquatic center played a large role in bringing the Games to the city this year and will hopefully continue drawing more crowds in the future.

“This city can now be a mecca for international and national level sports that we’ve never had before,” said volunteer Kelly-Ann Way, who won a silver medal in cycling in 1987 at the Pan-American Games and competed at the Summer Olympics in 1988 and 1992. “If this is our first time doing it and it was this successful that the head of the International Children’s Games said that this was the best one ever, that says a lot.”

The 2014 Games are expected to be held in Lake Macquarie, Austrailia, but Windsor’s swimmers have not yet guaranteed their spot. In addition to having swimmers who are skilled enough to compete in the Games, Windsor must receive an invitation from Lake Mackquarie to attend, pay a registration fee and raise funds to pay for their flights and accommodations.

Nancy Hanes is a mother of one of the boys who competed last month and she herself volunteers regularly with the team’s swim meets. “Fundraising has already begun for next year’s team so we are hoping it’s a go,” said Hanes.

With the help of Mayor Eddie Francis, who must accept the invitation from Lake Macquarie and pay the registration fee on behalf of the city, Semenov said he hopes to have a group of boys and girls selected by next August to go to Australia.