Category: Meets

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3rd Annual Ted Roach Memorial swim meet

Author: Gregg Thurlbeck
 
On Sunday, January 26, 2025, more than 100 masters swimmers, ranging in age from 18 to 93, took to the starting blocks for the 3rd annual Ted Roach Memorial swim meet. This was the highest attendance since the Covid shut down, and the meet was both fun and fast.
 
A total of 44 Ontario Records were either broken or established over the course of the meet with new records being posted at both ends of the age spectrum. Relay teams from the Royal Military College filled in some gaps in the Ontario short-course yards [SCY] record book in the youngest of the masters relay age groups (72 – 99). Meanwhile the Trillium Y team established a 4 x 100 yard freestyle relay record in the 320+ age group.
 
As in past years, once the main meet had wrapped up, the Alderwood swim team took to the water for their chance to race. Linda Berry added one more Ontario Record to the day’s total with her 200byard Backstroke. And an additional 17 club records were broken, many of them by the new, younger members of the team, Andrew Knaggs, Jerome Barber, Frances Low and Carmen Quiroz Vasquez. Nice to have more 20- and 30-somethings swimming with the team and helping with the swim meet.
 
2025 was my final year as Meet Manager. After more than a decade and a half, it’s time to hand things off. Liz Canrinus will be taking on the role of Meet Manager, starting with the 2026 event, and I’m sure that the meet will continue to be a highlight of the Masters Swimming calendar.
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2024 MSO Provincial Championships

The weekend of the 2024 MSO Provincial Championships (results) started out with a final blast of winter but it didn’t put a chill on a terrific weekend of swimming at the Markham Pan-Am Pool. A total of 252 athletes swam 1225 races over the course of the 3-day event. A total of 94 of those swims were record breaking.
 
The Alderwood Teddy Bears had nearly 30 members or family of members helping out with the running of the meet. So, the club can be very proud of the efforts that went into this event.
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Ted Roach Memorial 2024 Meet: Testimonial

The 2nd Ted Roach Memorial SCY swim meet was held on January 28, 2024 and nearly 100 swimmers from across the province took part. Thank you to everyone who came out to the Alderwood Pool to swim, and to all our hard-working officials.
 
We look forward to welcoming you back in January 2025.
 
Testimonial:

” There are not enough thank yous for an awesome meet! I felt unprepared and frustrated upon arrival not having my envelope (was given to a teammate I’d never met) or heat sheets….

But that quickly went away with the printed sheets everywhere and with everyone’s willingness to help, from volunteers to fellow swimmers, to other team’s coaches!!! 

We even got to deck enter at the VERY LAST SECOND….a relay race thanks to Gregg’s super fast efficiency!!!!!  And we win it!!!

The food was incredible!! Super impressed with the list of ingredients in all the foods!! Your club truly did an amazing job to make everyone feel welcomed, safe and athletic!! THANK YOU 🙏🏻 THANK YOU 😊 THANK YOU “

About Us, Annual Meet, Meets, News, Sports

Ted Roach Memorial Swim Meet

January 2023 saw the return of what had been the longest-running annual swim meet in Ontario.

Before Covid came along to disrupt just about every aspect of the swimming world, the Alderwood Teddy Bares swim meet had celebrated its 45th anniversary. And while it would have been amazing to reach the 50 year mark, the Covid shut down gave us the opportunity to rebrand our meet in honour of our club’s founder, Ted Roach.
 
On January 28, 2024 we will host the second annual Ted Roach Memorial swim meet. The meet package is now available on the Masters Swimming Ontario website.
 
Since the 2024 MSO Provincial Championships are being held in the GTA, at the Markham Pan Am Pool, we hope that lots of masters swimmers from the GTA and the surrounding area will take the opportunity to get a few races under their belts prior to the big event in March.
 
And, if swimmers are feeling a bit out of practice, or are relatively new to the whole concept of competition, there’s no better place to get over those jitters than at a short course yards meet. After all, Alderwood pool is about 10 percent smaller than a metres pool. And that translates, magically, into every race being 100 percent more fun.
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Milton 2019

From left to right: Gregg Thurlbeck, Barrie Malloch, and Margot Wheeler

It was a great day for a swim meet, cold and rainy. The ATB hard cores, consisting of Barrie (Chatty) Malloch, Coach Gregg and Margot travelled to the Milton Sportsplex to compete. After some technical issues the meet got underway. The small contingency of swimmers huddled in the stands together close to the action. After waiting patiently for our longest event (400 metres free) even with the close proximity, Barrie missed her heat. Too busy working the crowd catching up with old friends. Margot, dragged her away from her friends and convinced her to swim the event, Gregg worked his magic and got her a lane in the next heat. After the swim, we had a nice meal (almost as good as ours) and called it a day.

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Buffalo March Madness

From left to right: Narda Schmultz, Dave Jackman, Lee Shimano and Margot Wheeler

This Motley Crew, travelled to Buffalo (March 3, 2019) and attended March Madness, run by Buffalo State College.

Lee “Machine” Shimano swam a record 8 events. Narda literally “kicked ass” in the 25 tomb stone kick race, then swam a 1000 and Dave chauffeured the gaggle of geese around. Margot set a new Ontario record in the 500 yard free event!

Small event, beer and wings by 12:30pm. Everyone, was exceptionally friendly and 3 people have swum at our meet and raved on what a show “the bares” put on.

Good times, had by all.