Swimmers Attend Florida Training Camp
Ten swimmers from the Bermuda National training team signed up for a week of intensive training in Plantation, Florida.
The camp allowed the swimmers — ranging in age from 11 to 18 — to work uninterrupted on their sport. They rise at 6am and after a quick bite to eat start their day with a one mile run to the pool facility.
For the next hour they were put through their paces in land based exercises in order to build strength, explosion and stamina. They would spend the next 2 hours training in a beautiful 50 meter pool at the Plantation facility. After a rest period, tney would return to the pool in the afternoon for a second 2 hour swim practice followed by a core routine and stretching.
Bermuda National Swimming Coach Ben Smith said “The swimmers fondly call experience death camp and I can attest to blood, sweat and some tears during the week. This level of training will help to prepare these swimmers for their upcoming challenges with making qualifying times or how they will perform at Carifta in April.
“The swimmers also get a chance to bond as a team when everyone is going through such an intensive training program. It also gives us an opportunity to monitor what they eat and how they manage soreness and fatigue. The swimmers learned a lot about themselves and many realized how much harder they can push when they are challenged.
“At the end of the training camp Vaughn Rowse and Nic Patterson participated in the Florida Gold Coast Senior Championships. This was the first time that both athletes participated in a yards competition as we train and compete in a 25 meter pool and when we travel we compete 25 meter or 50 meter.
“This was a great opportunity to gauge themselves against top US competitors as this is the pool US Universities will compete in. Vaughn had 3 good swims and came very close to making his Carifta qualifying time in the 50 free. He will be keen to try again at the upcoming qualifying meet this weekend.
“Nic was able to make it to the consolation finals in the 200 fly on the first day of the meet. He then qualified for the A finals in the 100 and the 50 fly over the next two days with his best finish being 7th in the 100 fly. His time in the 100 fly gave him a qualifying time for this summer’s Junior Pan Pacific’s in Hawaii.
Mr Smith said, “We had an added treat of seeing Lisa Blackburn at the meet where it is quite evident that she is in fine form. Lisa finished 3rd in the 200, 100 and 50 breaststroke events and all of her times were extremely encouraging.
“Her 100 breast time converted shows that she is inching closer to her goal of qualifying for the Olympics. I know that she was happy to have some locals around her as it is very difficult to spend all of your time away from home training and competing. “With the form that I saw from Lisa at this meet I am very encouraged. I am looking forward to her results at the upcoming Grand Prix events in Columbus and Indianapolis.”
