Sports

Orangeville Otters swimmers achieve success at international swim meets

December 4, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Orangeville Otters Swim Club is celebrating international performances by two of its swimmers.

Nethaya Mahadana Arachchi and Alyssa Smyth represented both the Orangeville Otters and Team Canada.

Nethaya competed at the Swimming World Cup at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Oct. 23 and 24, racing with some of the world’s top swimmers.

Swimming the 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and 100m breaststroke, Nethaya set a personal best in the 50m backstroke, breaking her own open club record.

In a true display of community spirit, more than 50 Otters swimmers, joined by 13 parent coaches, filled the stands on Thursday morning to cheer her on.

“On top of Nethaya getting the opportunity to race at the World Cup with some of the best swimmers in the world, our swimmers at home showed up in a big way too,” said Otters head coach Sam Kuntz. “The pride and team spirit were incredible. It was inspiring to see our club come together like that.”

Alyssa Smyth represented Team Canada at the Youth Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, from Nov. 6 to 8.

Alyssa competed in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, and 100m butterfly. She won gold in all four events.

Alyssa also achieved her international classification, officially qualifying her to represent Canada in future international competitions.

Her outstanding performance was capped with a special honour – being named Canada’s Flag Bear for the Closing ceremonies. It was a moment that brought immense pride to both Alyssa and the entire Otters community.

Even with her busy training and competition schedule, Alyssa volunteers as a coach for the Mini Otter program on her day off, where club champions help guide and inspire the next generation of young swimmers.

Both Alyssa and Nethaya exemplify the Otters’ values of dedication, resilience, and teamwork.

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