From Practice to Peak: The Road to Swimming Trials

From Practice to Peak: The Road to Swimming Trials 

by Ashley Peterson

The countdown to Swimming Trials is on, and our team is ready to give it everything we’ve got. Every stroke, turn, and finish matters as we fine-tune our technique and push ourselves further. But this journey is about more than just competing—it’s about our growth, resilience, and the belief that hard work will always pay off.

Swimmer Spotlight: Stories from the Pool

February Spotlight : Eunice Cheung 

As we prepare for Trials, we want to celebrate the dedication of our athletes. In this edition, we’re introducing our Swimmer Spotlight, where we highlight the stories and experiences of our team members. Below is a list of questions we’ve asked Eunice, as well as her answers:

What inspired you to start swimming?

“I had finished all of the town lessons and my parents introduced the Stingrays to me when I was 8 years old! I first met the coaches at my tryout, and from there on out, I was instantly in love with the program. Here we are, 8 years later!”

What has been the biggest challenge in your training, and how did you overcome it?

“The biggest challenge for me throughout my swimming journey has been trying to overcome the 200 fly. It has definitely been a roller coaster going into meets. I think the best ways to overcome this event is to relax, trust my training, and keep working at it. I’ve found the more I swim it, the more improvement I see, both mentally and physically. Another big challenge for me was when I was younger, and I wanted to qualify for festivals. The meet was the weekend after my birthday, so every year I would need to make the time standards for the year above me. It was always frustrating, but since I couldn’t do anything about it, I used the experience to motivate myself to work harder.”

What is your favourite race and why?

“My favourite race is definitely the 50 fly. It’s a quick, intense race that’s over within 30 seconds. My next favourite race is definitely relays; since, as swimmers, we don’t get to work with teammates very often, and I think relays are a sneak peak into what working alongside your teammates is like. The adrenaline rush you get, knowing the team is relying on you, is something you can’t beat.”

How do you mentally prepare for a big competition?

“Getting ‘into the zone’ for me is super important, as well as goal setting, eating well, and planning a meet schedule. These are some of the things I do before getting in for warmup - for example, for prelims, I like to get to the pool early and chat with Coach Edit. Then, we write my meet schedule - this includes when I get in for warmup, when I should put my suit on, and other essentials like that. All of these things help me feel like I’m in control, and they keep me focused for my races. Behind the blocks, I like to focus on myself, and not engage with many others. I try to visualize my race, and the successes that could come with it. The hardest mental challenge that I, along many others, have faced is staying positive. After a hard race that I’ve done bad in, it’s quite challenging to stay positive and to focus on the other races I have. So many of the amazing coaches from this club have helped me a lot with that, and I can’t thank them enough.”

What are your goals for Swimming Trials?

“Going into trials, one of the goals I’ve set for myself is to make junior finals for the 100 fly and the 50 fly. Getting into finals would feel amazing, and it would showcase how hard I’ve worked. I also think getting a club record in both those events would be pretty cool!”

What advice would you give to younger swimmers aspiring to compete at this level?

For the future generations of the Newmarket Stingrays, some pieces of advice I would give is to remember why you’re doing what you do. Setting goals are a very good indicator that you have a vision of the swimmer you want to become. As young swimmers, mental health is also very important in this sport. At 17 years old, I am still learning how to grow mentally and emotionally - even with all the success I have seen. Even though swimming is mainly an independent sport, there are so many people and resources you can go to for help if you are struggling. Lastly, remember to have fun! Swimming can get intense, and we tend to forget that we’re here to work hard and have fun!” 

Final Push for Success

With four months left until the Swimming Trials, we’re kicking it into high gear! Just two weeks away from the provincial championships, every practice counts. The hard work we put in now will pay off when we race on the big day.

It won’t always be easy, but remember, even though swimming is an individual sport, we’re all in this together—pushing, supporting, and motivating each other. Let’s keep the momentum going and make these next few months count!

Stay focused, train with purpose, and respect the journey ahead!