Marissa Enns has been named OSSC Athlete of the Month by the OSSC Coaches in recognition of her achievements at the Central/North Regionals meet.  This award recognizes notjust Marissa’s success but all the hard work, dedication and  that she puts in in the pool.

Q: Marissa, you are now in your second year of synchronized swimming.  You recently won bronze in 10 U figures and with your team placed 5th.  You are also practicing your 10U pre-set solo in preparation for  the 2013 12 & Under Open Provincial Championships (Trilliums) where last year you placed 10th swimming in your first year competitively. What do you feel has had the biggest impact on helping you achieve your recent success at Central/North Regionals?

A: The biggest impact helping me achieve the results in Sudbury was a focus on hard work and effort by me and my coaches.

Q: What do you see as your biggest challenge?

A: My biggest challenge will be team.  We are young and in a very competitive  age group.  We work very well together and will focus on our effort and do our best.

Q: How do you overcome challenges?

A: I just get through my challenges by calming down and thinking about them.

Q: Focus is a critical skill for all athletes.  When you arrive at the pool at 6 pm looking forward to a long practice after a busy day at school, how do you stay focussed?

A: I try to make sure I am ready for my practice by relaxing after school and know that when I arrive at the pool I have to be ready for a good practice.

Q: In addition to your training schedule, you also are also maintaining high grades in school.  How are you able to stay on top of your school and homework?

A: I try to get as much done at school or on the bus home.  As soon as I get home from school I have a snack then do my left over homework as quickly as possible so I can have some free time before dinner.

Q: Do you have any tips or tricks to share with your fellow athletes?

A: Try to lay in your bed to rest for a while and do something relaxing. Always try to shower quickly so you can get home and get to bed earlier.

Q: What do you see as necessary to you to achieve your goals at the upcoming Hilton Cup meet and Age Groups?

A: Keeping focussed and doing our best!

Q: What are your goals for the balance of the year?

A: My goals are to try to come top six in solo at Trilliums.  Also to achieve top 6 in figures at both meets and have a great year with my teammates.

10U Team Struck Silver (with Coach Jordan Field and Coach Aurora Daumarie)

Congratulations to all of our athletes on their outstanding results!  This was a highly successful meet for the club and we would like to thank our athletes, coaches and parents for making everything perfect. Full results at Synchro Ontario.  More photos from the event here.

Our 13-15 team had a superb routine swim and placed 7th in a field of 11!  It is a tribute to the effort these young ladies have put in to their exciting circus themed routine.

The 11-12 AG had many successes. It was a golden weekend for Evelyn Young who placed first in figures and solo!  In duet, Evelyn and Andrea Corrales-Malaga brought home silver and Andrea placed 6th in figures for a ribbon.

Ivana Doneva and Bella Hajdu had a lovely swim with their Beatles inspired duet and placed 6th in routine.  Claire Christie and Kirstyn MacGillivray showed enthusiasm and energy in their pirate duet, wowing the crowd.

Kate Cullen competed the first solo of her synchro career at regionals.  She had a gorgeous swim and her coaches were thrilled with her performance.

The 11-12 Team placed 5th in routine and championship adding to the success in this age group.  The swim was lovely.

In 10U, Jordan and Aurora’s team placed 2nd and brought home silver!  Congratulations to all for a great swim! Marissa Enns on placed  3rd in 10U Figures!

Jeanine Enns brought home TWO medals in AWD-P!   Jeanine was GOLD in Solo and Silver in figures.

A very special thanks to our coaches for their hard work, dedication and support. It was amazing to sit in the stands and see all of the love support and dedication of our coaches down on deck.  While all of our coaches go above and beyond, we’d like to make a special mention of Coach Aurora who flew up to Sudbury for the day to support her team. Thanks Aurora for being so dedicated.

Thanks as well to Gary Enns for hosting and Andrew Cullen for helping organise an unlooked for dinner party at the hotel for the coaches and athletes.  It was a great surprise at the end of a long day.  Olympium Synchro dads sure set the bar high for the future!

Congratulations to Aerin England, selected as Olympium Synchro’s Athlete of the Month for January, 2013. Aerin is in her third year of Olympium’s High Performance Program and her first year of FINA Junior.  Aerin successfully attended Hollycrest JMS’s High Performer school program and is currently attending high school in her home town of Burlington.  Aerin shares her thoughts on school/training balance, focus and the importance of self discipline with OSSC.

Q: Aerin, you won gold in 13-15 Solo, placed 4th in 13-15 Figures, 23rd in Junior Figures and 7th in Junior Duet. What do you feel has had the biggest impact on helping you achieve your recent success at Provincial Qualifier?
A: I think the the help from my coaches and my fellow athletes has played a huge impact on my success at Provincial Qualifier. Without the dedication from the coaches and the motivation of  my team mates I definitely don’t think I would have done as well as I did.

Q: What do you see as your biggest challenge?
A: My biggest challenge is making sure that I maintain a balance in between my swimming and my schoolwork while still making sure that I have enough time to rest in between.

Q: How do you overcome challenges?
A: Organization is very important skill to have when you tend to get pretty busy. This is a skill that I am constantly working on, but I have learned that it is definitely a key element in finishing what seems like a daunting day.

Q: Focus is a critical skill for high performance athletes. When you arrive at the pool at 6 am looking forward to a 5 hour practice, how do you stay focused?
A: Taking your day one task at a time and really living in the moment helps me to keep my focus. If you start thinking ahead to what you have to do next your aren’t going to be able to execute what you are doing at the moment to your best ability.

Q: At the recent Provincial Qualifier Meet, you competed in Junior Figures, 13-15 figures, 13-15 Solo and Junior Duet.  On the Saturday you went from figures to figures to duet .  This is a busy day filled with quick mental changes.  How do you stay focused?
A: Competition days can get pretty hectic, especially if you have multiple events in the same day, which is why before a competition I have to sit down and plan out when I am going to do even the small things like eating a snack. The short breaks in between events is an important time to give yourself a mental break, this allows you to have complete focus when you need it in the pool.

Q: In addition to your training schedule, you also are a freshman in high school.  You attend your home high school in Burlington and have to move quickly from pool to school.  How are you able to stay on top of your school and homework?
A: Sometimes it can be difficult to sit down and get your homework done, which is something I learn time and time again. You just have to motivate yourself to get it done as soon as you get home so that you have the rest of the night to relax.

Q: Do you have any tips or tricks to share with your fellow athletes?
A: Remember that you swim because its fun and enjoy the time you get to spend with your team mates and coaches at the pool. In the end these are the memories you are going to have from your time in the sport, so make them count.

What do you see as necessary to you to achieve your goals at the upcoming Provincial Trials meet?

What are your goals for the balance of the year?

Many of you are aware of the closure of the Etobicoke Olympium beginning July 2013 in preparation of the 2015 Pan American Games. By hosting the Games a number of City of Toronto facilities will undergo capital improvements, including the  Olympium. The Olympium will serve as a training venue during the Games for aquatic sports including swimming, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming.

At this time we are working closely with the City of Toronto and Toronto Lands Corp to secure pool time in TDSB pools that can accommodate our recreational and evening competitive programs during the closure of the Olympium. We are waiting for confirmation from Toronto Lands Corp on the locations and times we have requested. As specific details have not been finalized, once this has been done a follow up letter will be sent to all of our members.

Attached please find a letter from our Head Coach, Elena Podolsky and President, Donald Taylor addressing all aspects of the closure. Click here to read the full text of Elena and Donald’s letter: Pan AM 2015 Renovation

Donald Taylor                        Elena Podolsky
President                             Head Coach