Masters Swimming

2020 RECIPIENTS

2020 RECIPIENTS

Swimming Canada article June 2020
EXCELLENCE IN COACHING

Gaël Chaubet DSC

Gaël began coaching at DSC about three years ago having just completed his second year of his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at the University of Toronto.

He has a long-standing history as an exceptional swimmer and was recommended to DSC by his head coach at U of T, Byron MacDonald, who felt that Gaël’s swimming and coaching experience, as well as high level of maturity, would be a great match DSC.

Gaël instantly flourished as a coach in the club. He is known for having interesting and varied practices, knowing who all the swimmers were along with their typical times and their goals, and for genuinely encouraging and supporting swimmers to develop – whether competitively or otherwise while catering to their individual needs. Gaël engages with swimmers beyond just swimming to support their goals – sleep, nutrition, dryland and lifestyle. He also provides support to our substantial French-language membership, as he is fluent in English and French. We have seen an increase in the number of swimmers attending competitions and more swimmers remaining in the club as they feel supported.

Gaël attended Canadian Nationals as coach in 2019, talking each swimmer through their warm-up, their race strategy and their post-race debrief. Gaël has brought such an impressive energy to the group at DSC. In the last year while looking to recruit new coaches from the U of T varsity team, Gaël has actively participated in recruitment, has mentored several and helped build their confidence with our club.

Importantly, DSC is a diverse swim club with its tag line of being “Toronto’s LGBTQ2S+ and Allies Swim Club”. Gaël has embodied DSC’s emphasis on diversity, inclusion and acceptance. All of our members feel comfortable and safe around Gaël, which is of particular importance in a community where historically people have not felt comfortable in their own skin.

EXCELLENCE IN SWIMMING

Kalis Rasmussen EOMAC

Kalis Rasmussen, a Denmark native, who relocated to Canada in 1951, has been swimming competitively since 2000, when she was 76. All total, Rasmussen has her name on 20 Canadian national records in the 85-89 and 90-94 age groups. That doesn’t even count the eight Masters World Records she has set this year at age 95.

She competed at the 2017 FINA Masters World Championships in Hungary, winning the 100 and 200 breast and posting runner-up finishes in the 50, 100 and 200 back in the 90-94 age division.

After setting five short course Masters World Records in late April at the 2019 Swim Ontario Masters Provincial Championships, 95-year old Kalis Rasmussen was at it again, putting her name on three long-course records for the 95-99 age group.

The latest records to fall at Rasmussen’s hands – the 50 breast (1:38.21), 100 breast (3:47.12) and 200 breast (7:42.36). Earlier in 2019, Rasmussen notched records in the 50 back (1:17.82), 100 back (2:42.13), 200 back (5:42.83), the 50 breast (1:32.51) and 200 breast (7:22.30) on the short course stage.

Much of her joie de vie is attributed to her Scandinavian heritage. Charlie Lane, a fellow teammate, states, “Kalis is one in a million. Very focused and determined while in the pool, but is always up for the team socials, following practice. Kalis is always optimistic and tenacious, no matter what she does.”

Pablo Conde MACC

The Quebec swimming federation has recognized each year, for almost 10 years, the best performances of the year for men and women according to the points chart of Mr. Christian Berger. This chart awards performance points along with bonus points allocated according to the swimmers’ age groups to recognize “experience”.

Pablo Conde has obtained the recognition of Quebec’s best male Masters Swimmer 6 times, in 2011, 2012 and from 2015 to 2019.

Affiliated swimmer since 2002, Pablo has achieved no less than 2 Canadian records and 17 Quebec records.

His participations and distinctions at the international and national level are multiple since 2005 within several different age categories:

Pablo has participated in Canadian Masters Swimming Championships in 2005, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. He participated in the FINA Masters World Championship in Montreal in 2014 and in Hungary 2017.

In addition to his swimming talents, Pablo is a team swimmer and is a very motivating presence for his lane partners. Pablo is also involved at the club level where he is the Registrar of his Masters Club (Maitres à Contre-Courant). He maintains the swimmers accounts active in the Swimming Canada registration system and is deeply involved in the production of meet entry files for his team for all swim meets. This task requires attention to detail and nothing escapes him. Competition after competition, he ensures that competitive swimmers are well informed of upcoming meets, entry deadlines and are registered for events on the Quebec and national Masters calendar. He supports his club coaches by building relay teams with passion, detail and a great devotion of time.

LONG-TERM CONTRIBUTION

Charlie Lane EOMAC

Charlie Lane joined masters swimming in 1983. Over the years, he has given his time as a board member at the club, and provincial level for numerous years helping shape masters swimming.

He is EOMAC’s chief statistician, record-keeper and cheerleader. He is welcoming of new members and is always encouraging all to enter swim meets and other events. He may be the most excited person when a swimmer ages up and has the potential to break records whether they are world, national, provincial or club. A perennial award winner at EOMAC for his commitment and dedication, he now has an award named after him at the club. The Charlie Lane award is presented annually in recognition of loyalty and devotion to the sport, attendance and effort at workouts and participation in competition.