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Otters swimmers selected for Ontario team

February 26, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Two young swimmers with the Orangevlle Otters have been selected for Ontario’s Youth ID Team.

Clare Bowen and Rylee Fudge, both 13-years-old, will join the team and will have access to high level sports specialists and training.

“These girls were selected based on their performance last year,” explained Otters head coach Rob Taylor. “Both girls had qualified, just after turning 13, for the Canadian junior championships, which is the national championships for junior age swimmers. And they qualified early with the 14 and under, girls. It was going to be their Canadian junior championship meet last summer. Based on their performances last year, they were selected by Ontario to be on the Ontario Youth ID Team. They look for top performing kids in various levels of age groups. This will provide them with an enrichment opportunity. Senior coaches are always looking for who the next potential stars of the program will be. Clare and Rylee were selected to be in that group of kids.”

In a regular year, Swim Ontario would host a series of training camps for swimmers at the Toronto PanAm Sports Centre for training where athletes would be exposed to training specialists associated with the Canadian National Training Centre.

The girls were able to attend a weekend training session. These are steps toward competitors training to compete at an international level.

The Otters were able to continue some training through the summer during August including training at outdoor swim areas. However, swim meets were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Athletes have continued to stay in shape with dry-land training.

Coaches and athletes are hoping they can have a ‘more normal’ year coming up and get back to swimming competition.

Clare and Rylee’s current coach, Richard Pady, said the girls making the Youth ID team will help take them to the next level in the sport.

“It is exciting to have our first two Otter swimmers to be selected to the Ontario Youth ID Team,” Pady said. “Clare and Rylee exemplify everything a coach wants to see in a swimmer. They are always on time, always prepared for workout, always asking questions, and always training to their full potential. I believe being part of the Ontario Youth ID Team will open their eyes to the next level of swimming which I know is in their future.”

Both Clare and Rylee have excelled at the Club and in their sport and are responsible for breaking several Club records in competition.

“They have completely re-written our girls club records,” Taylor said. “The two of them have broken every club record. It’s likely they’ll be re-writing the record books for 13 and 14-year-old girls next year.”


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