By Shayna Lewis

GATINEAU – Following a successful Can Am Championships, Canada’s Paralympic swim team is back in Gatineau for an intensive training camp.

The seventeen-day program, which started Sunday, is aimed to continue the high performance swimming of Can Ams with race-simulating workouts.

The races on July 15-17 gave coaches a good foundation to work from.

“[Can Ams] was the last formal racing opportunity for the team leading up to Rio,” said Craig McCord, head coach of Swimming Canada’s Para-swimming team. “It was a great chance for the senior technical staff to see the swimmers’ preparation and make note of their performances.

“It’s promising to see where [the swimmers] were at, roughly 60 days out from the Games.”

McCord was particularly impressed with the performances of the younger swimmers on the Paralympic roster, pointing out Danielle Dorris, Sabrina Duchesne, Tess Routliffe and Abi Tripp, who won a combined 15 medals.

“They brought their A-game,” he said.

Other highlights from the weekend include Tammy Cunnington’s world record in the S4 50-m butterfly and Nicolas Turbide’s Americas record in the S13 50-m backstroke.

Can Ams was not only a successful event in the pool, but in all aspects behind the scenes. The staff in Gatineau are no strangers to hosting Para-swimming events, and thoroughly enjoy the experience.

“Hosting the Can Am Para-swimming Championships for the second time was a great opportunity to showcase the Centre sportif de Gatineau at an international level,” said Joël Bergevin, responsible for sport and event operations in the City of Gatineau. “The Centre sportif was designed to be universally accessible and this proved to be an asset for the success of the event.

“Athletes and coaches were very pleased with the venue and the warm welcome they got from our local swimming club and staff… Definitely a positive experience for all involved!”

The Para-swimming team has returned to the Centre sportif de Gatineau for pool training sessions, but will also be utilizing the dryland resources available at the Centre sportif de l’Université du Québec en Outaouais.

“This is the third time in four years that we’ve held our training camp in Gatineau,” McCord said. “The facilities are world-class, the personnel have always been amazing, and they will definitely contribute to our success in Rio.”

Gatineau staff take pride in their facilities and their services.

“We are a gym, yes, but we are also a health clinic,” said Luc Ouellette, assistant director of the Centre sportif de l’UQO. “Our kinesiology clinic contains university graduates who are well equipped to lead athletes to their full potential.”

The centre accommodates a variety of exercises that suit the needs of different athletes, including a gymnasium, free weights, weight machines, yoga studio and spinning room to name a few. There are several resources at the athletes’ disposal, from crossfit training to specialized cardiovascular equipment.

“All of these tools will help strengthen the weaknesses of any individual to create a well-rounded athlete,” Ouelette said.

McCord believes that every step of the journey towards Rio is important to ensure the success of the Canadian team.

“It all wouldn’t be possible without municipal, provincial and national partners’ support,” he said. “It’s because of them that we can represent Canada the way we want to.

“We’ve still got a long way to go until the Games, and these training camps are important to ensure optimal performances in Rio.”