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Airdrie swim club ready for annual John Timmermans Memorial this weekend

More than 50 swimmers from Airdrie will pack the pool and showcase their skills this weekend at the Nose Creek Swim Association's (NCSA) 24th annual John Timmermans Memorial swim meet.
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NCSA swimmers will compete at the 2022 John Timmermans Memorial this weekend. File photo/Airdrie City View

More than 50 swimmers from Airdrie will pack the pool and showcase their skills this weekend at the Nose Creek Swim Association's (NCSA) 24th annual John Timmermans Memorial swim meet. 

The competition, which will feature swimmers ages 10 to 17, will be held March 4 and 5 at the Repsol Sports Centre in Calgary.

NCSA coach Alexx Diep noted this weekend's meet marks the first John Timmermans Memorial since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. The 2020 version was held just days before the arrival of COVID-19 in Alberta, which brought a halt to sporting events provincewide.

“This is the first time we’re bringing it back, so we’re really excited about it,” he said. “We’re actually getting a lot of interest from other clubs to come and race as well at this meet.”

A tradition now a quarter-century old, the first John Timmermans Memorial was held in 1997. According to Diep, the meet is named after John Timmermans, who passed away in 1996 after many years of supporting the NCSA and Airdrie's swimming community.

“The swimmers' parents are excited, I’m sure the Timmermans family is excited, and certainly, the swimming community is excited to be racing at this meet again,” he said.

According to Diep, 54 of the NCSA's Airdrie-based athletes will take part in this year's meet, and many of the event's volunteers hail from Airdrie as well.

The NCSA includes both Calgarian and Airdrie-based swimmers. The club's members train out of both Repsol Sports Centre in Calgary and the pool at Genesis Place Recreation Centre in Airdrie.

The competitive level of the John Timmermans Memorial varies depending on the age group, according to Diep. For the younger swimmers, the meet will act as a qualifier for provincial trials, which will be held the following weekend.

“That is partly why it’s generated so much interest,” he said. “Everyone is looking for that last kick of the can, so to speak, to qualify.”

For the older swimmers, the John Timmermans Memorial is more of a preparatory meet, Diep said. The meet offers them one last competition to tweak their swims before competing at the Swim Alberta provincial championships, which will be held in Edmonton two weekends afterwards.

Back in the pool

Now that public health restrictions have lifted to the point where NCSA is able to run its training programs unimpeded, Diep said it has been great to watch Airdrie's local swimmers once again flourish in the pool.

“It’s really nice to watch the swimmers improve and be happy about their achievements,” he said. “It has been very positive for the swimming community since September. Even before that, last summer, it was also positive, because things were lifting and we were able to train more consistently.

“On that front, we’ve seen a lot of success in the water. We’ve seen a lot of kids getting fitter, happier, and dealing with mental health a little bit better.”

For more information on the NCSA or the John Timmermans Memorial, visit the club's website. 

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