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Vanderhoof summer swim club preparing for Dawson Creek invitational meet

Swimmers wrap up Hell Week
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Head coach Baylee McGillivray (left) with swimmers completing Hell Week: Brenna McCleary, Lyric Kessler, Maci Kadonago, Norah Shute, Oliver Boniface, Hudson Grady, Josh Wu, Jerytt Ephrom, Adison Grady, Reid Grady, Isabel Simoes and Gage Devauld. (Andrea Grady photo)

The Nechako Valley Otters are looking forward to their first meet of the season after completing five days of intense workouts in what was known as ‘Hell Week.’

Twelve members of the Otters completed an hour-long swim each morning, followed by dry land exercises and then an afternoon swim.

“The purpose is to get them to swim lots of metres,” said head coach Baylee McGillivray.

“It also brings the club together because normally the different age groups swim at different times… So it just kind of brings more of a team atmosphere of doing hardcore workouts together and brings them closer together as a club.”

Read More: Nechako Valley Otters have a successful first season

Members participating in each day of ‘Hell Week’ received a small prize.

The club is now getting ready for their first invitational swim meet of the year in Dawson Creek where Quesnel and Prince George clubs are also anticipated to be in attendance.

“All the kids are very, very excited,” McGillivray said, noting she was a bit worried about how COVID-19 would impact their short season that runs from May to August.

“Normally, we would be going to a swim meet every second weekend.”

The Nechako Valley Otters have 43 swimmers this summer season, which McGillivray said is an excellent number.

This marks her first year with the club that she hopes to end on a nice note with swimming techniques the kids want to work on.

McGillivray previously coached the summer swim club in Quesnel.

Read More: ‘Wild swimming’ offers a cure for the COVID-19 blues



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