Sophie Deasy is the captain of the Queen’s Swimming team. Here, she discusses some of the difficulties the team has faced and speaks with her teammates about their prospects ahead of their first competitive meet in two years.
After a long hiatus from competition, Queen’s swimming will finally have the chance to race at the OUA Championships again this weekend.
Taking place March 10-12 in Toronto, it will be the team’s first official meeting since February 2020.
Due to the pandemic, the swim team did not participate in the 2020-21 season. During this year we had the opportunity to continue training when restrictions allowed, but it was not an ideal year for practice.
This season has seen similar obstacles, if not more. From September 2021 to February 2022, several periods of provincial restrictions forced the closure of swimming pools and races.
Additionally, changes were made to the coaches and team management which stalled official tryouts, roster filling and a regular training schedule until the end of October.
Outside of practice, the team worked hard to stay connected and motivate each other. However, away from the rest of the team for much of the past two years, each swimmer was ultimately responsible for maintaining their own fitness and mindset.
With ever-changing restrictions, we had to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
When the 2022 OUA championship was confirmed in early February, the team got to work. Erin Lee, our new head coach and former captain of Queen’s Swimming, noted this leadership change in an interview.
“With only about a month’s notice before this encounter actually happened, we had some serious work to do. […] Trying to squeeze in two years of training and preparation for the biggest and only meeting of the year in such a short time is not an easy thing to do,” she said.
Amidst all these challenges, Lee is extremely proud of what the team has achieved so far. Not only is the squad swimming faster than they expected, but they have also adapted to changes such as their delayed start, an unexpected break from swimming from December to January, and her arrival as a new coach- chief.
Katie Morrison, ArtSci ’22, also acknowledges the skills that were established during the two-year hiatus from racing.
“The last two years will definitely help me prepare for the OUA. With all the uncertainties we’ve had to deal with, we’ve learned to adapt but also to be easier on ourselves, which I think will be super important this year in particular,” she told me. said in an interview.
Morrison noted that while she is mentally prepared for the hurdles the OUA could bring, physically she feels like she won’t be performing at her peak performance.
“I probably won’t be aiming for my best times like I usually would, I think instead I’ll focus more on a good split time and good running technique.”
Almost every other swimmer on the team is also expecting slower times, especially since the men’s and women’s sessions are separate this year. Without the whole team on deck, team support, which often improves performance, is likely to be weaker.
As for the team’s rookies, they set their expectations even lower than some veterans. This will be their first time representing Queen’s in a competition, and they don’t have much else to compare their hopes to, competition-wise.
In an interview, Ally McMullin, Kin ’24, talked about how strange it was that despite being in her second year as an undergraduate, she was still considered a rookie on the team. Nonetheless, she is thrilled to represent Queen’s on the competitive stage.
“Even though I don’t swim fast, I’m still going to be so excited to experience a varsity-level competition. Traveling with the team, finally being able to wear a ‘Q’ on my cap and putting on a racing suit for the first time in two years will be the best part,” she said.
While there are a few individuals who have incredibly fast times and a chance for glory, like co-captain Matt Halpen and rookie Kim Song, the team plans to support each other regardless of individual results.
While the OUA will mark the end of the 2021-22 season, the competition also marks the end of several swimming careers with the team. Obviously, their time spent both in and out of the pool this weekend will be appreciated.
Halpen, Comm ’22, wanted to emphasize to OUA newbies the importance of taking the pressure off this weekend and just focusing on having fun.
“Beyond being a chance to play as a team and show what we are capable of doing, it’s either the first time or […] the last time […] that we can race while representing Queen’s,” he said in an interview. “That in itself is exhilarating, so as long as it’s remembered, the results will follow.”
