A pair of Estevan Mermaids qualified and recently attended Synchro Sask's high performance development program.
Mackenzie Dahl and Alyssa Wieting are both veterans of the high performance program, as Wieting was at the day-long camp last year, and Dahl the year before. The June 11 day camp taught the girls a number of new techniques both in and out of the pool.
The high-performance program is organized through Sask First and is meant to give advanced training to those swimmers who have been identified as exceptional.
"Prior to going there we did a lot of preparation for it," said Dahl.
To qualify, the girls had to beat a set time while swimming eight lengths of the pool. The times were then sent into Synchro Sask. In all, 30 swimmers from across the province qualified for either the high performance excellence program or the development program.
She noted that they did a lot of training for the swimming that would determine the times they recorded for the qualifying runs. The two swimmers agreed that the training that they do for core strength, while swimming with their Mermaid teammates, helped them a lot for the qualifier.
Dahl said she decided to attempt to qualify mostly for the talented people she would be able to work with once she was at the camp.
"If we made it, then we would get the chance to work with a whole bunch of amazing people," said Dahl.
For Wieting, the camp was an exceptional learning experience.
"When I went last year, and I got in (to the development program), I learned so much when I was there," she said.
She said the camp was more of the same from last year. The girls can also attempt to qualify for the high performance excellence program next year, though neither is positive she will try to qualify.
Wieting said this time around, she was more comfortable at the camp, swimming with the other girls.
"It wasn't as scary the second time. I wasn't as nervous the second time."
The girls underwent training outside the pool as much as inside, working on stretching, flexibility and some boosting, which pushes the swimmer up above the water, during the dryland sessions.
Laurie Wachs, Sask First high performance director, was the trainer circling each of the stations at the camp. Learning from her was one of the perks of attending the camp, said the girls.
