Swimmers in sync at competition
Catherine O'Hara
Published on
May 16, 2008
After an arduous 22-hour flight, Waterdown resident Charlotte Peer was glad to step foot in Perth, Australia, ready to represent Canada at the 2008 FINA World Masters Aquatic Championships.
The group of 10, including Peer, showed off its strength and endurance in the water, competing in the team, trio and duet categories. They medalled in all divisions, including gold for the team and a second place finish for the trio.
Prior to competing in Australia, Peer told the Review that she hoped her team could place in the top 10. Upon her return from the land down under, she was still amazed by their accomplishment.
"None of us expected to do quite as well as we did," said the graduating, fourth-year Communication Studies and Multimedia McMaster University student.
Bringing home heavy hardware wasn't a walk in the park, explained Peer. The girls faced stiff competition from around the globe, but their toughest opponent was a team from Quebec, which finished second.
She added that the team members also had the opportunity to learn by watching the choreography of teams from around the world, which exposed them to moves and sequences they would never think of putting together at home.
Based on a 10-point marking scale, Peer and her teammates had to compete two routines for each of the categories. Scoring as high as eight was something none of the girl had ever done in their synchronized swimming careers.
"That was a pretty big deal for us," said Peer.
Training for hours on end prior to participating in the 2008 FINA World Masters Aquatic Championships paid off for the team, which is comprised of six swimmers from McMaster, two from Wilfrid Laurier and two students from the University of Waterloo.
"We've all been putting 100 per cent to our training up until now...we looked in shape and we looked strong," said Peer of the team's performance in Perth.
Following the competition, Peer and three other swimmers stayed behind to tour other parts of Australia. The girls traveled through the cities, visiting landmarks such as the Opera House and crossing the Sydney Bridge. The girls were especially excited when presented with the opportunity to pet a kangaroo.
The culture down under was vastly different than here in Canada noted Peer. With their eco-friendly ways, Peer was amazed to see a very small number of Sport Utility Vehicles on the road. Recycling bins were strewn throughout the city and toilets provided its users with a half- or full-flush button.
Now back home in Waterdown, Peer looks forward to joining a synchronized swimming club as her days as a swimmer in the university league are over. She said some of her teammates have chosen to leave their synchronized swimming careers on a high note, while others still attending university will stick with it.
The FINA World Masters Championships is held bi-annually in even years. This year's event attracted close to 5,000 competitors from 80 National Federations.
Peer hopes to make it to the 2010 competition in Sweden, but first and foremost, she wanted to thank all the individuals within the community who helped support her and her teammates financially for this year's journey.