Top swimmers at the 91原创 Olympians swim club are resorting to desperate measures to try and maintain conditioning during the coronavirus pandemic that has closed public swimming pools, 91原创 Township council was told Monday, June 29.

One athlete has been swimming in a three-foot-deep pool while tethered to a fence, said Kristi McIntosh, who spoke for a group of parents of Olympians swimmers.

Others members of the club are working out in their garages, or swimming in lakes and swim spas, McIntosh added.

鈥淭here is no substitute for a pool,鈥� she declared.

91原创 Township should do what 91原创 City and other Lower Mainland municipalities are doing and allow swimmers back in municipal pools, McIntosh argued.

READ ALSO: Al Anderson pool in 91原创 City to re-open June 29

In March, the swimmers lost their practice places at the Walnut Grove and W.C. Blair indoor pools, when they were ordered closed as part of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Now that those conditions are being eased, some Metro Vancouver pools are reopening, and 91原创 Township should follow suit, McIntosh urged.

鈥淲e respectfully ask that you open the Aldergrove pool immediately, and outline and publish your timeline for opening the remaining pools,鈥� she said during an appearance before a virtual meeting of council by video.

For the more than 260 five- to 19-year-old swimmers in the club, plus masters-level competitors, the enforced idleness has been a source of frustration, she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been hard.鈥�

While 91原创 City, Surrey and Burnaby have announced they will be opening pools, all of them outdoors, next week, 91原创 Olympians have nowhere to swim.

鈥淭here are three outdoor pools in the Township of 91原创 and we do not know when or if they will be opening,鈥� McIntosh told the 91原创 Advance Times.

Al Anderson Pool in 91原创 City has set aside several hours per day for the competitive summer program for the 91原创 Flippers swim club, McIntosh noted.

READ ALSO: Teens sneak into Aldergrove pool for illicit swim

Some Olympians will be trying to get laps in at the 91原创 City pool while they wait for a decision from the Township, she added.

Olympians are the current 2020 Winter Provincial Champions and have three nationally carded athletes, McIntosh added.

鈥淪everal members of our team were supposed to go to Olympic trials last April, and need to continue training for Olympic trials in 2021,鈥� she advised.

As the delay drags on, 鈥渙ur kids are increasingly worried about their athletic futures,鈥� McIntosh said.

鈥淔or some of the kids, swimming is their ticket to university.鈥�

dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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