Athletes from Northwestern Ontario, Minnesota, and North Dakota are taking part in the three-day Able Energy Grand Prix, which is one of the few long-course swim meets in the area.
THUNDER BAY – This weekend, nearly 300 swimmers from Northwestern Ontario and the U. S. came together in Thunder Bay for the annual Able Energy Grand Prix swim meet.
The three-day event features participants ranging from seven years old to elite-level swimmers vying for qualifying times ahead of provincial and national championships scheduled for later this summer.
“This is the biggest swimming event of the year that a lot of the kids look forward to,” said swim meet manager Jeff Lyons.
According to Lyons, about 250 to 300 swimmers are involved in this year’s competition, with teams coming from various communities including Dryden, Sault Ste. Marie, and Kapuskasing, as well as clubs from Minnesota and North Dakota.
The competition includes a mix of events like freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly races, and long-distance freestyle contests.
Thunder Bay Thunderbolts meet manager Laura Dennis mentioned that this meet stands out because it’s one of the few long-course competitions in Northwestern Ontario. The pool is set up with 50-metre lanes for this event, attracting teams from around the region.
“Most pools and most swim meets in Northwestern Ontario are 25 metres, so this draws a lot of attention,” Dennis explained.
Dennis also noted that participation continues to rise each year. Previous meets had around 250 swimmers typically; however, attendance has grown this year thanks to more American teams joining in.
The event not only features young swimmers competing in their first races but also seasoned athletes aiming for qualifying times for higher-level competitions and potential university recruitment opportunities.
The organizers highlighted that volunteers play a crucial role in making the meet successful; they need between 50 and 60 officials for every session throughout the weekend.
“It takes quite an amount of people to make this happen,” Lyons stated.
Swimmers Vaughan Shippam and Ruby Heerema participated in the meet and shared their thoughts with Newswatch on Friday afternoon.
The two agreed on their love for swimming because it combines both individual effort and team spirit.
“I just love how everyone cheers each other on, and it’s a team,” Heerema said.
“Good luck to everyone and have fun,” Shippam added.
The competition kicked off on Friday and will continue all weekend at the Canada Games Complex. Friends and family can watch a live stream of the events available across the region.
