The Thunder Bay Diving Membership was in a position to bounce again after the pandemic, partially due to a Trillium Basis grant.
THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Diving Membership has elevated its variety of athletes by 50 per cent since 2022.
“We wish to carry diving to as many youth who may need a flair for it or an curiosity in it,” mentioned Crystal DePeuter, president of Thunder Bay Diving Membership.
“The extra numbers we now have, the extra lessons we’re in a position to present at totally different instances, making us extra accessible and it simply permits us to maintain going.
“The growth, especially in our recreation numbers, is important because it’s introducing people to the sport,” she mentioned.
MPP Kevin Holland celebrated the 50 per cent progress at a media occasion on Tuesday. “That’s really encouraging to see a group that is providing such a good, valuable service to our youth and actively is able to use those funds to really recover from COVID and drive up their memberships again,” Holland mentioned.
The Ontario Trillium Basis awarded the Thunder Bay Diving Membership with a $77,800 Resilient Communities Fund Grant over 24 months, to construct its resiliency from impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
DePeuter mentioned the board was thrilled to be taught they are going to be receiving the grant again in 2022. “It was like pretty life sustaining for us. We had very low numbers coming out of the pandemic. This grant was really a way over two years to start to rebuild. We’re really seeing the fruits of all that labour and that funding right now,”
The funding allowed the membership to buy new gear that permits each leisure and aggressive divers to boost their abilities earlier than moving into the water, mentioned DePeuter.
Members of the diving membership have been having fun with the brand new gear, and are appreciative of the funding.
“I’m small, the old belt wouldn’t fit around my waist properly. I had to wear a towel and sometimes I would slide up and down. But now, the new belt fits me properly, and I don’t have to worry about sliding,” mentioned Abigail Tjong.
“For the funding we did get lots of new equipment. It helps us to be able to rent out the pool, and were able to pay our coaches, since they do a lot of hard work for us,” mentioned Lilah DePeuter, Crystal’s daughter.
Crystal DePeuter mentioned the funding additionally made it attainable to carry “strive diving classes.”
“We maintain these common free ‘try diving sessions’ that individuals can register for. We discovered that these are pretty profitable and actually essential as a result of diving is a sport some individuals are not fairly positive about.”
DePeuter discovered that the classes have actually helped introduce folks to diving.
“If they like it, then they can register. We found that that has been a really solid use of our funding,” she mentioned.
Diving membership member Elise Lawr mentioned, “I love diving because it’s a good chance to meet lots of people and you make lots of friends. It also helped me learn to get over my fears and it’s so cool because I learn so much.”
Sara MacMaster added that, “while you go to the pool together with your different mates that don’t do diving, you get to indicate them every little thing you realized. And you may enhance your abilities on a regular basis.”
“We’re seeing an unimaginable program that begins children very younger after which strikes them by means of a development,” mentioned MPP Lise Vaugeois.
“They’ve got excellent coaching to help them really aspire to be very great. If they choose not to be continuous divers, they’ve still got the social aspect, the physical aspect. It’s a really good thing happening here and it’s an honour for me as an MPP to get to be part of it,” Vaugeois mentioned.
For a few years, the Thunder Bay Diving Membership did not have athletes that have been able to compete, DePeuter mentioned.
“This previous yr, we have been in a position to ship folks. It is simply one other factor that we will supply in Northwestern Ontario to youth who noticed it on the Olympics and thought, ‘that looks like something I’d love to do.’
“They can come here and they can try it and maybe they’ll be there next,” she mentioned.
Extra data on the Thunder Bay Diving membership is accessible on their web site.
