Last Weekend in Calgary

There are swimming families. 

Jane’s son is about to overtake his mom in the 100 breaststroke. Her cousins can pick her out in the heats from the look of her strokes. At the 2023 Masters Nationals in Calgary, the three of them sit in the stands and cheer for their aunt, who is also competing. 

After workout last Thursday morning, Mark (2000 Olympian) asks me to say hi to his mom (1964 Olympian) at the swim meet. I see his parents in the stands on day 1. 

You’re Mark’s parents: Mark says hi.”

Mark’s mom looks me up and down. She must get this a lot. 

“Who are you again?”

I’m a swim coach. I coach a neighborhood masters swim club in East Vancouver called Legacy. I think I coach swimming because I like watching people swim their hearts out. And masters swimmers always swim their hearts out. 

The meet kicked off with the 4X50 medley relay. I had to stand apart from my teammates to watch the heats, because the energy of relay teams always makes me emotional. I get choked up. Wild Rose Swim Club’s 120-159 team goes 1:47.26, a new masters world record. They have Erica Morningstar. 

One of the highlights of the weekend for me was watching Erica Morningstar swim 1:02.15 in the 100 IM, another masters world record. 

I called my mom. 

“Moman!”

“Susie?

My mom is French Canadian. She pronounces my name heavy on the zee. 

“Mom, listen to this.” I hold the phone so she can hear the soundtrack of the pool. The whistles, the start, the cheering. “Dévine où-c’ que j’suis.”

“Ben, j’sais pas trop…?”

“Don’t you recognize it?”

“Euuu… pas vraiment, non.”

“I’m at a swim meet!”

During the meet, I texted updates to the swimmers in East Van who’d stayed behind. I kept wishing the whole team was there with us. I composed a new mantra:

If you wanna represent East Van, you gotta get out of East Van

On Saturday, Jane and Ilya left the meet before I did. The competition was over for Jane and I, but I stayed until the end of the day and watched every last race. Then I took a cab to the airport. 

Ilya had 2 races to swim on Sunday. Back at home, I woke up that morning and texted him. 

“Just remember, don’t knock yourself out on the butterfly and you’ll be fine. When you get to the freestyle leg, concentrate on keeping your feet tight and inside your line. You’ll be tired, so you need to be really efficient there.”

Ilya was swimming 400 IM.

I kept wanting to turn on the tv and watch Ilya’s races. I don’t have a tv.

I wandered around my apartment. Did some laundry. Went to pick up some groceries. Wrote some workouts for Monday morning. Checked emails. Found this one from Francesca:

“Sad news: I am moving back to Italy at the end of July. I am really sad, but it has been a long time since we had this dream to be closer to our families. I was saying to Frances and Katie that one thing that I will miss most is swimming with Legacy! It was an amazing journey for me. Technical journey because your coaching is amazing, you pushed me to go over my limit and resetting my brain to swim better. I learned that slowing down and working on technique is giving more lasting results, and I actually love it! Now when I am swimming I am thinking about my arms, my breath, my leg (to keep the tunnel!). I discovered with you that swimming is also a feeling, and I love when I feel the water running in the right spot! I learned so much, and I wish I could learn more. This journey was also a discovery of an amazing community, no matter how fast you swim, you always feel part of this  community. No matter your speed, no matter whether you are slower, even the faster swimmers were always cheering and supporting me. For this community is a family!

Thanks for accepting me 2 years ago! I will miss you a lot!” 

I couldn’t answer; I was getting choked up again. 

There are swimming families.