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Spring 2009 Newsletter

• This coming Tuesday swim will be at 8pm till 9:30pm - half an hour earlier than usual.
• Summer BBQ and AGM will be held at Clare and John Atkinson's house - Friday 19th June at 6:30pm
• Annual Awards will be given out at the BBQ and nominations are now being received for
  • Most improved swimmer - past recipients amongst us; john Atkinson, touraj asadi
  • outstanding achievement award - past recipients; dan filgiano, Rory walker,
  • team spirit award - past recipients, the storr family
  • healthy lifestyle award - past recipient - Karen gamble, Shannon Bentley

Fall 2008 Newsletter

Welcome back to another swim season. For those of you who are interested in going to a swim meet or two this season I have put together a list of swim meets that might interest you.

Upcoming Swim Meets

• Oct 18/08 Brantford Fall Sprint
• Nov 16/08 Semi-Serious IV (Etobicoke)
• Dec 14/08 North York Pentathlon
• Jan 11/09 2nd Annual Muskoka Masters (Bracebridge)
• Jan 25/09 Alderwood Masters (Etobicoke)
• Feb 8/09 Burlington Masters
• Feb 22/09 London Silver Dolphins
• Mar 8/09 Milton Masters
• March 20-22, 2009: Ontario Masters Swimming Championships (Nepean, ON)
• May 15-18, 2009: Canadian Masters Swimming Championship (Etobicoke, ON)

For more info on the above swim meets please click on the link below. If you have any questions about going to a meet feel free to contact me. If you decide on going to a swim meet please let me know so that I can track your results.

http://www.mastersswimmingontario.ca/index.html

For those of you who are interested in seeing just how far you swim over a season/years Masters Swimming Canada has set up what they are calling The Million Meter Challenge. All you have to do is click on the link below and sign up. Once you have signed up then all you have to do is login on to their sight and update you mileage. You will be quite surprised just how far you swim over time.

http://www.mymsc.ca/Million.jsp

Dan Filgiano

Markham Masters Swim Club

Swim Meet Co-ordinator

Summer 2008 Newsletter

• Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30pm till 10:00pm – Centennial Pool
• Sunday at 8:30pm till 10:00pm – Angus Glen Pool.

• Most Improved Swimmer – Jonathan So
• Team Spirit – Tom Meisner
• Achievement Award – Dan Filgiano and Rory Walker
• Healthy lifestyle award – Shannon Bentley

• President Clare Atkinson
• Treasurer Earl Webster
• Registrar Tom Meisner
• Team Clothing Ruth Russell
• Swim Meets Dan Filgiano
• Web Site Dean Mackie / (Adriana Kulcsar)

• Lakeside Sprint
• Muskoka Chase
• Welland
• Peterborough Half IronMan
• Gravenhurst
• Niagara
• Bracebridge Half Ironman

December 2007 Sunday Swim Reminder

Fall 2007 Newsletter

Newsletter Sept 4th 2007

Newsletter July 19th 2007

• Most improved Swimmer – Touraj Asadi
• Healthy lifestyle Award – Karen Gamble
• Achievement Award – Dominic Chow
• Team Player Award – Gerri Storr

• Lakeside (London) sprint – Karen Gamble, Michael Leader, Clare Atkinson, Dave McVeigh (very first sprint triathlon) and Touraj Asadi who completed his very first Triathlon ever!
• BinBrook – Karen Gamble, Vicky McGrath, John Atkinson, Michael Leader, Adriana Kulcsar (who surprised us all by stepping up to the Sprint from the Give it a Try)
• Guelph Lake I – Dan Filgiano, Eddie Nadalini, Clare Atkinson, Dave McVeigh
• Welland – Eddie Nadalini, Adriana Kulcsar.
• Peterborough Half Iron Man – Ron Vandersluis, John Atkinson, Dan Filgiano, Shannon Bentley, Karen Gamble – congratulations to all this was a tough race!
• Peterborough Sprint – Vicky McGrath, Ruth Russell, Touraj Asadi, Dave McVeigh, Clare Atkinson, Flo Tartavel.
• Gravenhurst – Lynne Wardle-Ransom

• Bellwood Lake – Touraj Asadi, Clare Atkinson. There may be a relay team including Karen Gamble too.
• Cobourg Olympic – Karen Gamble, Eddie Nadalini
• Cobourg sprint – Dave McVeigh, Clare Atkinson
• Calabogie Peaks – 5 person Multiman Karen Gamble, Ruth Russell, Clare Atkinson, John Atkinson and Dan Filgiano
• Calabogie Peaks Triathlon – Karen Gamble, Clare Atkinson
• Calabogie Peaks Off-Road Triathlon – Shannon Bentley
• Guelph Lake II – Clare Atkinson, Dan Filgiano, Shannon Bentley
• Wasaga Beach – Karen Gamble, Clare Atkinson, Dave McVeigh, Lynne Wardle-Ransom, Angela Robertson
• Owen Sound – Shannon Bentley

• President – Clare Atki Discount again this year if you sign up before July 31st. I will be making an early bird registration form available shortly for all of you who wish to enroll.
  
  Summer Swim
  Our Summer Swim schedule will commence from Tuesday June 19th till August 30th which means that our last Sunday swim at Angus Glen will be Sunday June 17th. There will be no more Sunday swims through June July and August until our new season starts again in September. Please also note that our mid week schedule will change and commencing Tuesday June 19th until August 30th inclusive our schedule will be as follows;
  
  Tuesdays 6:30pm till 8pm at Morgan Pool (outdoors)
  Thursdays 8pm till 9:30pm at Centennial
  
  Sunday only swimmers are welcome to join us at any 1 of the midweek swims during the summer months. We do plan on posting a workout at each swim during the summer schedule too.
  
  We look forward to seeing you in the Pool across the summer.
  
  Triathlon
  We now have quite a group attending the lakeside triathlon on June 9th; good luck to the following MMSC members;
  
  Karen Gamble
  Touraj Asadi
  David McVeigh
  Mike Leader
  Clare Atkinson
  
  Sorry if I missed anyone from this list; please let me know if you are racing.
  
  Annual GM and barbeque
  Please note this as a reminder that our AGM and barbeque will be on Friday June 22nd from 6 till 9 at the Atkinson house. Please make sure you RSVP before June 19th we need to know quantities for food ordering; we are running a BYOB format though so please bring your own beverages and if possible a camping chair as I don’t think I have enough for everyone. Also please let me know if you need a revised address or directions. Children are welcome; hopefully it will be warm so we can swim in the pool.
  
  That’s all for now, have fun with the summer
  
  Clare Atkinson
  
  
  

  Newsletter April 1st 2007

  Hi All
  
  Just a couple of updates for you all as follows;
  
  Provincials
  Congratulations to Dominic Chow who competed in the Provincial Masters’ Swim Championships in Sudbury recently. Dominic placed very well in his age as we saw him do in North York when he was the fastest guy in the pool; results are as follows for him;Lakeside: For those of you new to racing, or simply wishing to step up your distance from try a tri to sprint I can recommend the lakeside sprint race on June 8th weekend in London; the distance is 500m swim, 18K bike and 4K run – perfect for those who may be a little nervous of a sprint distance swim. I did this race last year and can tell you that the water was quite warm for the time of year as the lake is quite shallow. I was hoping we could get a group of us going and provide a little moral support for each other; maybe take a cooler or so for after the race. Let me know if you will be going, so far I believe the following people have expressed interest; Clare, Dave McVeigh, Touraj, Karen Gamble (maybe).
  
  Peter MacNamara is going to make his first foray into Triathlon with the BALA Falls race in July; apparently this race is quite close to Peter and Jackie’s Cottage and they have suggested that they may be able to accommodate tents should we wish to stay over at their place for the race.
  
  Both of the above races are supported out of the HSBC series which is run by John Salt and his team. The race schedule is found at www.multisportcanada.com
  
  Additional races can be found at www.trisportcanada.com which lists all the Subaru sponsored races in Ontario for the season; this is the race series that is hosting the Peterborough half iron man event which will see the following MMSC swimmers participate – John Atkinson, Karen Gamble, Dan Filgiano. Please let me know if I have missed anyone. There is also a sprint distance race at this event; I participated in this last year and can confirm that it is a very nice course which provides an opportunity for some fast split times.
  
  There are also several other races during the season on www.triathlonontario.com too if you are interested and on an international scale, Michael Leader, Victoria McGrath and John Atkinson will be in Florida during November to compete in the IronMan event there.
  
  As the summer approaches there may be a number of people scheduling for bike rides so if you are interested please feel free to ask around; it is always more fun to ride in a group I find.
  
  That is all for now; if you have anything that you would like to share with the group then please let me know.
  
  Regards
  Clare
  
  
  

  Newsletter Feb 25th 2007

  New Arrival.
  Please welcome a new swimmer to the club (in 18 years!) Cameron Robert Budinszky; born on January 10 via c-section to parents Susan (Markham masters swimmer) and Chris. He weighed a healthy 9lbs and was 21 inches long. Sister Naomi is busy helping mum with her new brother.
  
  Swim Meet Results
  Congratulations to Mariyan Stipetic, the clubs oldest and one of our most competitive swimmers. Mariyan swam at the Alderwood Meet on January 21st and placed 1st in his age for both the 100 Free and 500 Free with times of 1:21:37 and 8:00:00:84 respectively.
  Well done Mariyan!
  
  Swim Suits
  Swim suits are now in and Ruth will be making sure that you received them at the pool either this Sunday or Next Thursday. Please make sure that you prepare your cheque to MMSC for payment.
  
  Pull Buoys
  For those who did not receive a set of pull buoys please let me know; we have extras available and can provide these to you at practise. Remember, these are yours to keep (a gift from MMSC) and bring for practise use.
  
  Pub Night
  Please note that we are planning to have an after swim Pub night next Thursday 8th March. Location has not been cast in stone but suggestions of Duchess of Markham or Sgt peppers.
  
  Let me know if you are interested in the pub night and we can pre-order some appetizers for our late arrival (cost split amongst group).
  
  That’s all for now, see you at practise
  Clare
  

  Newsletter Jan 17th 2007

  HI Everyone,
  
  Winter Party
  
  I would like to send this note as a big thank you to the Storr family for hosting the MMSC winter party this past Saturday; as you are aware the theme of this event was a pyjama party and we had some very interesting ensembles. I received various notes from people indicating that they enjoyed the event and I agree that it was a lot of fun to get a large number of our members together for the re-gift exchange; we had a larger number of items of popularity and therefore more “stealing”’ going on this year!
  
  I hope that you all went home with something suitable. The Storrs wanted to ensure that you actually took your gifts home too (no hiding them under the couch this year!).
  
  In addition to the re-gift exchange we had awards for the best dressed male and best dressed female; I have to tell you that it was a close competition with awards going to the following people;
  
  
  • Best Dressed Male – Dan Filgiano
  • Best Dressed Female – Lisa and Owen Santilly
  
  I hope that you both enjoyed your prizes and we also hope that they don’t make it back next year as an item to re-gift! :-)
  
  The club presented the Storrs with a token of our appreciation for hosting the event, which they have done both this year and last year. If any of you would like to volunteer to host this event next year then please let me know; maybe someone without pets (cats) so that Steve and Dawn can enjoy the frivolity too.
  
  Swimsuit Order
  
  As you all should be aware, Ruth is collecting orders for our swimsuits as outlined in an earlier email; we are still going ahead with the blue and yellow colour scheme and an image of the suit will be available at the pool this Thursday as will suits to try on. Please ensure that you either email me or Ruth (or speak to one of us) regarding your preference; we would like to get our order to Omni swim promptly.
  
  Pull Buoys
  
  As I mentioned previously we are providing all of our members with a set of pull buoys this season; please ensure that you pick one up at the pool this week and if you don’t manage to get one before the current supply runs out, please let me know and we will order more.
  
  I believe that is all for now; if anyone has any racing news (swim meet, triathlon or other) then please let me know so we can post it on our web site. I believe that the recent meet results from NYMAC are posted as are our new club records.
  
  Take care and have a great swim!
  
  Clare
  
  
  

  Newsletter Dec 15th 2006

  Congratulations and a big thank you to the MMSC members who attended the NYMAC pentathlon last Sunday, Dec 10th; this was the largest attendance that we have had as a club as far as I can remember – 16 swimmers, which meant that we had enough to fill 3 relay teams. Everyone did very well and had lots of fun which is one of the main objectives for attending a meet.
  
  I believe that we can proudly state that we had some of the fastest people in the meet at both ends of the age spectrum; Dominic Chow was first overall in his age group (men 20-24) and Mariyan Stipetic was 2nd in his age group (men 75-79). Karen Gamble was third overall in the women’s 45-49 group and Ruth Russell was third overall in the women’s 50-54. Two of our relay teams placed 3rd in their respective categories too; Congratulations Teams!
  
  The Pentathlon is different to most meets in that each swimmer is asked to swim 50 metres of all 4 strokes, Fly, Back, Breast and Free and finishes with a 100 IM. Times are recorded for each event and awards are made based upon accumulated times for all events. The format of this meet is quite relaxed and fun.
  
  I would encourage anyone who swims with us and is unsure about racing in a swim meet to try one and see. We had a lot of first timers at the NYMAC meet and Ruth sent me an account of her experience as follows;
  
  
  • I went to the pentathlon race on Sun. and had a great time. This was my first swimming race so I was rather nervous just before the first 50 m butterfly but after that one was over I started to relax and enjoy the experience. I had to watch what was going on to make sure I figured out what I was supposed to do when it was my turn. I'm still confused as to how I was supposed to make my turn during my 50 m back race where I was disqualified for an illegal turn (whoops - I think I got 2 minutes added to my overall time). I still managed to come in 3rd overall in my age group so I was very pleased with my results, especially when it was my 1st race (I have done lots of triathlon races but that is quite different). As a newbie I would say the races were very well organized and everything keeps moving quickly (until the end of the race when their computer had a glitch and we had to wait around for the results). We had 16 competitors from our club, plus Steve, so it was also fun to talk to other people from our club that I might otherwise not get to talk to, so, my experience was very positive and I would recommend this race to anyone whether you have raced before or not.... Ruth
  
  
  The results from the NYMAC meet can be found on the following site: http://www.swimgators.com/pentathlon2006.htm
  
  As a summary, our Swimmers together with their accumulated time and overall position were as follows;
  
  

  Name	Age	Overall Time	Position in Age overall	First Masters meet?
  Dan Filgiano	48	3:20.92	5th
  Dominic Chow	24	3:02.25	1st
  Mike Doyle	47	5:48.80	17th
  Ruth Russell	53	5:19.83	3rd	Y
  Karen Gamble	49	4:24.65	3rd	Y
  Jackie McNamara	36	4:57.89	11th	Y
  Peter McNamara	43	4:37.53	16th	Y
  Haihuan Li	32	4:22.12	8th	Y
  Tom Meisner	53	4:32.50	8th
  Jason St Louis	36	4:06.89	13th
  Clare Atkinson	39	4:39.91	9th
  Jonathan So	31	4:47.28	8th	Y
  Lisa Santilly	36	4:13.73	6th
  Mariyan Stipetic	76	5:27.49	2nd
  Dean Mackie	39	3:30.58	7th
  Norm Dennill	54	4:04.32	6h

  
  Winter Party
  Don’t forget our Winter Party on January 13th at the Storrs’ house; I know a lot of you are excited about it being a pyjama party too and are putting a lot of thought into exactly which one of those night outfits you will be wearing! Don’t be shy; our winter party and gift exchange is always a lot of fun and a great chance to socialize with your fellow swimmers. Please do not forget to let me know if you are attending and what delicious dish you will bring with you (food item) so we can coordinate accordingly.
  
  Christmas/Holiday Schedule
  Our Holiday swim schedule should be posted on our web site so please check to ensure that we have practise on the days you are planning to attend. I know that it is a busy time right now but we are still able to offer you a full schedule this year and in particular our Sunday morning swim at Centennial.
  
  Pub Night
  If anyone would like us to schedule another pub night please let me know what day you would prefer and I will send a note to the group.
  
  MMSC hopes everyone keeps fit and well over the holiday season and we send best wishes to all of you,
  
  Clare Atkinson
  
  
  

  Newsletter Sept 14th 2006

  Hi All,
  This is just a note to update everyone that the new season has started back as of September 10th at Angus Glen. We are currently on a Sunday only schedule at this time until the opening of Centennial Pool in October.
  Our first regular Mid-week practise is scheduled for October 3rd at Centennial from 9pm till 10:30pm. All Full time members or those thinking of joining full time are welcome to come out and swim with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please note that there still may be construction going on at the Centennial centre as we start up the season; we have been informed by the town that the Pool will be available but that we may be using temporary change rooms during the first few weeks of practise until the contractors have finished.
  
  New Faces
  Please welcome the following swimmers who stopped by last Sunday to try out with us;
  
  • Ted Jackson
  • Lynne Wardle-Ransom
  • Karen Carruthers
  • Kevin Gao
  • Robin Van Boescholew
  • Bryan Lamontagne
  • Julie Meisner
  • Tom Meisner
  • Ning Dong
  We hope to see these swimmers become members of MMSC and look forward to seeing them again at the pool.
  
  Races
  Congratulations to the following who completed the Wasaga Beach Sprint Triathlon which ended up being converted to a Duathlon due to rough water conditions. It was not an easy run either because the run course was changed to avoid conflict with an earlier race which meant a good portion of the start was along the sand. This is pretty tough going!
  
  Congratulations;
  Lisa Santilly, Mike Leader, Bryan Lamontagne, Dan Filgiano, Karen Gamble and myself (Clare Atkinson). I hope I did not miss anyone from this list. It was Lisa Santilly's first sprint distance Triathlon too - Congratulations!
  
  Also, Lynn Wardle-Ransom completed her first try a Tri at Guelph Lake a couple of weeks ago; hopefully now she has the bug and will want to do more! Way to go Lynn.
  
  Multi-Man
  As some of you may know, we had a team enter the multi-man triathlon this year in Calabogie Peaks. We did well and came third! I was hoping that we could maybe get a couple of teams together for next year so if you think you may be interested in taking part in this event then please take a look at the HSBC triathlon website for more details www.multisportcanada.com
  I will try to send a note out nearer to the event next year to see who is interested in putting some teams together. This might be good incentive to keep the swim, bike and run training going through the winter.
  
  Other Items
  If anyone has any news items or announcements that they would like us to include for the future then please do not hesitate to let me know.
  
  Welcome back to all and we look forward to a great swim season.
  
  Clare Atkinson
  
  

  Newsletter Aug 29th 2006

  Hi All,

  I can't believe that the summer has flown by so quickly, I know it is not over yet but there are only a couple of triathlon events left in Ontario this season and it has flown by so quickly.  Before we know it we will be gearing up towards the provincial swim meets!

  Please welcome back our wonderful coach Steve Downs! For those of you new to the club over this summer, Steve should be quite easily recognizable as he will be the only one of us on deck not wearing a swim suit! 

  Schedule Change

  I believe that we have only one more summer swim (Thursday at Angus Glen) before our new season starts. 

  Please note that our swim schedule for the new season has changed; we will now be holding Sunday swim practises at Angus Glen Pool from 8:30pm until 10pm, the first session will start on September 10th.  Thanks to the feedback from all of you and overwhelming support to move to this new schedule.

  Ongoing Discussions

  I did receive a few notes from one or two members regarding a concern that we may be encouraging the town to push us to later swim times.  I can assure you that we are working closely with the pool scheduling staff to make sure that the schedule is suitable for all concerned. We also need to ensure that we can use the best training faciities that are available to us.  Over the past year we have experienced issues with the cleanliness and temperature inconsistencies of Milliken Pool and I think you will agree that Angus Glen is a more consistent environment for our Sunday practise. 

  We are also still trying to ensure that if possible we can be presented with additional opportunities to improve our swim experience for mid-week sessions too, particularly if options for ealier timing presents itself; we will keep you abreast of any news we have and thank you for your suport; MMSC will not make changes to effect our schedule without consulting the membership first.
  
  Race Results

  Congratulations to Shannon Bentley for Completing IronMan Canada this past weekend; I believe this was Shannons First IronMan event and we have all seen her put the time in at the pool to prepare for this.  Shannon completed this course in 14 hours 22 minutes and 36 seconds.

  We also had a team compete in the Calabogie Peaks Multi-Man triathlon weekend this past weekend too; our team comprised of Liz McManus, Karen Gamble, Ruth Russell, John Atkinson and myself.  The goal was to complete 6 sprint distrance triathlon loops in as quick a time as possible.  We did very well as a team of mainly women and clydesdales and came in third overall with a time of 8 hours 48 minutes and 33 seconds; most of the other teams were very strong and had a low percentage of women members (way to go us!).  This was a full day event with  lots of fun and teamwork along the way; we took a couple of beers to celebrate with at the end. 

  The very next day Liz and I were up bright and early to complete the solo Triathlon event (750m swim, 30K bike and 7.5K run) and Dave McVeigh completed the give it a try and came in first in his age group. 
  

  We hope you had a great summer and look forward to seeing you at practise on Sunday 10th at Angus Glen - new time of 8:30pm.  I have attached an enrollment form for those of you who still need one.

  Clare Atkinson

   905 472 8097

   

  2006 AGM Outgoing President's Remarks

  
  I am finishing my term serving Markham Masters as my life enters a new chapter and I go back to work full time in September. I would like to thank Martin for his support over the last few years while I’ve been doing voluntary work he has paid the mortgage without complaint.
  
  The club has changed significantly over the last few years and I leave the position of president both happy and frustrated. I am delighted that club membership has flourished, not only in numbers but also in diversity. We have increased the diversity of the membership through deliberate action to include a broader age range, people of different abilities and people of different cultural backgrounds. We also have diverse interests in swimming with more recreational swimmers and more triathletes.
  
  The success of the club is largely attributable to Steve, who continues to coach us with enthusiasm, skill and humor. Steve’s willingness and ability to encompass such a diverse group of swimmers is rare and we appreciate him very much.
  I would like to ask Ruth to present these gifts to Steve and Dawn.
  
  My frustration is in my failure to achieve more sociable practice times for the club. My disappointment is on account of the members but also personal, as I will be unable to swim full time next season due to the late practice hours. I pass on to the new executive the challenge to continue making our case to the Town for better practice times.
  
  I would like to thank the executive team for their hard work once again over the last year. Without volunteers, this club would not exist in the way it does.
  
  • Earl – finances and fundraiser
  • Clare – registrar and secretary
  • Ruth – Swim suit orders, etc
  • Steve Senior – swim meet coordinator
  • Dean Mackie – webmaster
  • Dan Filigiano – Records keeper
  
  I wish the new executive well for the 2006/7-season and good health and happy laps to all.
  
  Liz McManus.
  
  
  

  Newsletter June 26th 2006

  Thanks to everyone who came out to the AGM - there was a good turnout with lots of family members too. I hope you all had fun. A big thank you to John and Clare for welcoming us to their beautiful home and back yard, for BBQ-ing etc.
  
  Earl presented the financial report - let me know if you would like a copy. Clare presented the secretary's report and I said a few words - see above.
  
  The new executive was elected as follows:
  
  • President - Clare
  • Financial - Earl
  • Registrar/Secretary - Michelle Woo
  • Clothing etc - Ruth and Kathy
  • Internal communication - Clare/Gerrie
  • Web master - Dean
  • Swim meet coordinator - Dan
  
  Awards were presented as follows:
  
  • Team spirit - the Storr Family
  • Achievement - Vanessa
  • Healthy lifestyle - Ron
  • Most improved swimmer - William
  
  
  Registration forms for the new season are now available. The deadline for the early bird price is the end of July.
  
  If you were unable to attend the meeting and have any questions or concerns feel free to contact either myself or Clare.
  Have a great summer.
  
  Liz.
  
  

  Newsletter June 15th 2006

  Please note Sunday swimming has finished. The schedule is a bit irregular for the next couple of weeks so check the calendar carefully. Sunday only swimmers are welcome to all sessions at Morgan and Angus Glen.
  
  Recent events
  Congratulations to John and Clare who both placed first in their categories in the triathlon last weekend. This was Clare's first Sprint distance so there's no turning back now! Here's her story:
  
  "Last weekend the Atkinson family took part in the HSBC London triathlong weekend with John and I competing in the sprint (my first) and the kids (Joseph 8 and Kathryn 5) taking part in the KOS. The weather was OK (sunny) but there was a very strong wind which both cooled the air dramatically and made for an interesting bike ride. The lake was actually quite warm (reportedly 75 degrees) but the water was very weedy; my only major goal that day (apart from finishing) was to get out of the water ahead of John, we had been allocated the same wave to start. I knew his long legs and big lungs would serve him well on both the bike and the run but surely there was one thing I could do better at? Anyway, I did get out of the water a whole 30+ seconds ahead of him and we were in the first transition at the same time; it wasn't long before John (AKA Lance A) was out on the bike course and averaging 33+ Km/h. I did pretty well, given the strong winds and averaged 28+ km/h. Back into Transition 2 and on to the run the goal was to survive to the finish. I saw John again as he was galloping back from the turnaround point and I was heading out there. John finished the race in just over 1 hour and 4 mins to come first in his age category (over 40 male clydesdales) and I came in at 1 hour and 19 and came in first in my age category (under 40 female athenas). I was completely surprised and pleased with the results. The Kids had tonnes of fun doing the KOS and I believe that Kathryn has inherited her fathers aptitude as a runner, she wouldn't let any of the other kids pass her! Josephs strengths are in biking and we were very impressed that he finished the whole race 75m swim, 5k Bike and 1K run. Clare"
  
  Congratulations also to Greg and his wife on the arrival of a daughter!
  
  Upcoming events
  Reminder of the annual summer BBQ & AGM coming up June 25th. Quite a few have RSVP'd already. Let me know if you can make it so we provide the right amount of food.
  
  Thanks to those who have stepped forward for executive positions. It's not too late if you're interested. The club would not exist without people like you who are prepared to make it happen!
  
  All the best to those going to Muskoka for the triathlon weekend. Michael, Shannon, John A, Ian, Martin and myself...anyone else? The event will be recorded for TV - we'll try to let you know when it's going to be shown (probably in the fall..?). Simon Whitfield and Lisa Bentley will be there for added inspiration!!
  
  

  Newsletter June 4th 2006

  Welcome Desk
  Welcome to our latest new member, Kelly.
  
  Upcoming events
  Our summer party/AGM is to be held on Sunday June 25th, 5:30-8pm at Clare's house, 72 McCarty Crescent, Markham. The club will provide all the food and soft drinks. BYOB and a lawn chair. Families welcome and bring your swim gear for a dip in the pool.
  During the evening we will present the awards, elect the new exec and make a few brief announcements regarding next season. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend - it's important that you are there...and besides...it will be fun!
  Remember to designate a driver, car pool or taxi if you plan to drink.
  Many thanks to John and Clare for hosting us again this year.
  
  On the subject of the exec for next year, there are going to be some changes and we need to get a couple more people involved. The positions on the exec are as follows:
  
  • President
  • Vice president/internal communications
  • Registrar/secretary
  • Financial officer/facilities coordinator
  • Clothing/equipment coordinator
  The time commitment is to attend a meeting approximately once a month or less. Roles can be broken down if we have more people interested. If you are interested in helping out, or know someone who you think might be prompted, please let Liz know.
  
  Members briefing
  It seems we have a large proportion of triathletes among us these days. Some who have come to us in that form and others who have caught the bug and crossed over.
  
  Michael Leader's race schedule for the season includes:
  
  • June 4th - Milton
  • June 18th - Muskoka Long Course
  • July 9th - Peterborough Sprint
  • July 23rd - Ironman Lake Placid
  • Aug 20th - Orillia
  • Sept 10th - Wasaga Olympic
  Shannon is also joining us in Muskoka for the Long Course on June 18th and also doing the Peterborough Half Ironman on July 9th, the Xterra Off-Road Tri on July 22nd...and of course - Ironman Canada on Aug 27th.
  All the best to both of you and all our other multi-sporters.
  
  We were musing with the idea of planning a triathlon race weekend together, possibly in Guelph as it is not too far away and they offer a wide range of distances to suit everyone. Guelph I is June 24/25th, the weekend of our summer celebration on the Sunday evening. Let me know if you would be interested in racing if a group was going.
  Did you know that triathlon relay races are becoming more popular. If you are interested in the swim portion of a triathlon and are looking for a team let me know as there are plenty of riders and runners out there who would appreciate an aquaphile like you on their side!
  
  
  
  

  Newsletter May 30th 2006

  Welcome desk
  Welcome to Irene.
  
  Upcoming events
  Triathlon season is upon us. Let me know your race schedule for the season! The Atkinson kids did KOS this weekend at Caledon - congratulations to Joseph and Kathryn! June 10th The Atkinson adults are racing in London. June 19th John A is doing Muskoka long course and Martin, Ian and I are making it a team effort. I know many of you are tri-ing, some for their first season, so let me know your plans so we can cheer you on.
  
  Member briefing
  I had one response to my request for award nominations. So here's your second and last chance, deadline is this Friday. Form emailed.
  
  Did you see Vanessa and Joseph mentioned in the paper? All the best to you and your team as you prepare for Nationals. We're very proud of you!
  
  I hope to have details of the AGM/summer party for you soon. Suggestions for a format/location welcome at this time.
  
  Brian Lindsay at Markham Aquatics Club has opened up their Summer Instructional Swim program at Morgan Pool to Masters Swimmers. The program runs from 9:00 to 10:00 am Monday to Friday in two week sessions through out the summer. The first session starts July 4. The cost of the sessions is $100 for the two weeks. If there is a holiday Monday in the session the fee is $95. Contact information for the "Summer Instructional Program" can be found on the MAC website at www.markhamaquaticclub.com.
  
  The schedule for the coming weeks gets a bit confusing as we go through the transition to our summer season. Check it carefully. All members, including Sunday only members, are welcome to participate at all MMSC sessions at Morgan pool and Angus Glen. There is no extra charge for summer swimming!
  
  
  

  Newsletter April 18th 2006

  Welcome desk
  Welcome new member Jeff. Great to have you with us.
  
  Recent events
  Provincials was great. We had 11 swimmers attending over the 3 days and got some good results. Check them out here.
  
  It was good to be away - some of us took our families and made a weekend of it. We had fun! Thanks to Steve and non-swimming family members who showed up to support us.
  
  Coming events
  I am proud to say that on Thursday we will have 18 people participating in the Arthritis swim. I have arranged with synchro for a lane or two to be opened at 8:30 for those swimming 5000m. Sorry, but we can't have other swimmers start at 8:30 due to life guarding requirements. Everyone else please be at the pool 8:45 ready to start your swim as soon as we have the rest of the pool ready. If you have someone who could come and count/time for you that would be a big help, though I think they will need to sit in the bleachers (and remove outdoor shoes).
  
  Members briefing
  It's that time of year again when we are preparing for the AGM which means awards...
  
  You have been emailed the awards nomination form for the four annual awards. Please complete it and return to Liz or any of the exec members. The final selection of award winners will be made by the executive.
  
  ...and the election of the new executive.
  
  As you know the club is run by hearty volunteers, who are full paying members like you, and have an interest in seeing the club survive and thrive. The roles on the executive are flexible to suit the talents and time constraints of the individuals who volunteer. Please consider getting involved in the running of your club - without volunteers there wouldn't be a club. Feel free to speak to any of us about the various jobs the executive does and how you could fit in.
  
  
  

  Newsletter March 28th 2006

  Welcome desk
  Welcome new member Shannon, who is training for Ironman Canada.
  
  Recent events
  Just three of us attended the meet in Milton on March 5th. We disappeared in the crowd alongside the 20 or so members from Thornhill masters. Results have been posted! I can also bring you the results of the famous Milton raffle in which Clare and Eerik both scored!
  
  Upcoming events
  Good luck to all those attending provincials this weekend. I will see you there! Sunday practice is still on as usual.
  
  Members update
  Spring has sprung and turnout at practice is still low. There are lots of people we haven't seen at the pool for a while. If there is someone who swims in your lane that hasn't been out for a while why not drop them a quick note to encourage them.
  
  Although life guards at Centennial pool are responsible for putting in the lane ropes, they would be glad of our help so please arrive on deck on time and pitch in. Thanks.
  
  
  

  Feb 8th 2006 Newsletter

  Recent events
  The Sport Council meeting on Monday night was poorly attended due to the snow storm. As a result the deadline for application to be on the facilities task force has been extended to Feb16th. This is a committee of sport council members forming to address issues of relationships and communication between facility providers a nd users. Markham Masters is a member of the sport council and therefore any of us could stand for this committee. Committee members will represent users as a whole rather that their specific sports organisation but there is much to be gained for MMSC and other users. If you would be interested in taking a role in this let me know.
  
  Did anyone go to London?
  
  Upcoming events
  Burlington meet is on Sunday Feb 19th and Milton on Sunday March 5th. I am hoping to go to Milton. Anyone else?
  
  Planning is underway for Provincials in St Catherines March 31- April 2nd. We are looking for a group rate at a convenient hotel so will need confirmed numbers any day now. Of course you are free to make your own arrangements, but it would be nice and perhaps a better deal to stay together. Take a look at the meet package ASAP and decide which days you want to go. Feel free to discuss with Steve if you're not sure which events to pick and remember, there are no minimum ability requiremnents. Any member can particitpate. Its fun, it will focus your training and you will become a better swimmer as a result. Go for it! Yes you!
  
  After much to-ing an fro-ing with the Town we have finally come to an arrangement for summer swimming that I hope you will like. We are going to have 2 sessions per week:
  
  • Monday 6:30 - 8 pm at Morgan pool
  • Thursday 9:30 - 10:30pm at Angus Glen
  Morgan pool is the outdoor pool on Parkway Avenue near Main Street Markham across from Bullock Drive. We took this session because we were unable to get a 90 minute session in a full pool elsewhere. It is earlier evening so maybe we could get someone to supervise as our kids play in the park....we could walk over to the patio at the Duchess afterwards...it'll be nice! Swimming there will be cancelled if there is an electrical storm, so we wanted to take an indoor session as well. The extra cost will be borne by the club, members will not be asked to pay extra for summer swimming.
  
  
  
  

  Jan 25th 2006 Newsletter

  Recent events
  Many thanks to Gerrie and John Storr for hosting a fabulous party. Thanks also to everyone who attended, brought delicious food to share and ...lovely...gifts for the regift exchange. Actually I got a star gift and was most surprised it wasn't 'stolen' at all during the game!
  
  Much awaited NYMAC results:
  Everyone swam 50 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly and 100 IM.
  Lisa: 4th, 5th, 4th, 4th, 4th
  Clare: 8th, 9th, 5th, 9th, 9th
  Marie: I only found a result for 50 back 2nd place
  Dean and Jason were in a popular age group...
  Dean: 15th, 8th, 14th, 9th, 9th
  Jason: 18th, 17th, 16th, 16th, 18th
  Dan: 4th, 3rd, 1st, 7th, 2nd
  Steve: 11th, 11th, 12th, 11th, 10th.
  200 free relay: 4th
  200 medley relay: 4th
  Congratulations everyone!
  
  Did anyone go to Alderwood?
  
  Upcoming events
  London long course meet (in a 50m pool) Feb 5th and Burlington Feb 12th.
  
  We are beginning to make plans for provincials. The event takes place in St Catherines this year so we are looking at a group hotel booking. If the idea of travelling all that way just to swim for a few seconds doesn't do it for you there is a social event on the saturday night that sounds pretty good. Remember - you don't have to be of a certain standard to take part. Everyone is welcome, its a great experience! Give it some thought.
  
  Members briefing
  
  Markham Sports council is underway with a schedule of monthly meetings for members to raise and address issues relating to sport in Markham. Markham Masters Swim Club is a member of the sports council and I am a board member. At the first members meeting of the year we heard from representatives from sports facility landlords including the town of markham. Afterwards the discussion revealed some common issues amongst user groups which will be addressed by a facility task group to be formed at our meeting on February 6th. As members of MMSC you are welcome to attend sports council meetings and events. Be a voice for sport in Markham!
  
  We are in communication with the Town to secure the best pool time and location for the summer months. As the Centennial pool is going to be closed for the renovations during this time we will have to relocate and may have to take a different time slot. We will do our best to get adequate training facilities for you.
  
  
  

  Jan 1st 2006 Newsletter

  Happy New Year!
  This is just a quick message to keep in touch as it's been a while... Hope you're enjoying the holiday season. Looking forward to a great 2006 in the pool!
  
  Welcome desk
  Welcome to the sunday members who are upgrading to full time in preparation for the triathlon season - Vicki and Ruth.
  
  Recent Events
  Congratulations to all who went to NYMAC in December - I'll include results in the next newsletter.
  
  Upcoming Events
  Don't forget our winter party Jan 14th at Gerrie and John's house. The official invitation is included in a separate e-mail. We always have a good laugh, and as this is my last year as president I hope to see everyone there!!
  The next meet on the calander is Alderwood Jan 22nd. Details in the next newsletter.
  
  
  

  Nov 29th 2005 Newsletter

  Recent Events
  The Mayors round table meeting to launch the Markham Sports Council yesterday morning was very well attended, and there were lots of great ideas coming from people. It's been a slow process to get going but now we are incorporated, sports organizations are signing up, and things are starting to happen. I recommend Markham Masters joins the sports council (free before Dec 31st). I have the form and will be completing it in the next week or so. For more information check the web site: http://www.markham.ca/markham/channels/recserv/mrkmsportcouncil.htm and another which may be of interest: http://www.communitysportnetwork.com/cscs2.html
  
  Upcoming Events
  North York Pentathlon Dec 11th. Entries due to Steve Senior by Dec 1st.
  
  Members Briefing
  Collect citrus fruit from Earl's house after 1pm this Friday.
  
  Clothing will be here on Wednesday. If you did not yet pay for your clothing the money is now due. Please let me know when you will be at the pool as I don't want to carry it all unnecessarily. Alternatively you can make arrangements to pick up from my house.
  
  After a bit of a delay (busy, busy!) I have updated the web site. Hit "reload" if you don't see the changes right away. Check out new pages "Training Tales" and "Club Records". Special thanks to Dan the Club Statistician!! Please send your training tales to Liz and records changes to Dean (Dean_Mackie@otpp.no--spam!!.com)
  Cheers Dean
  
  Please note that Miliken pool is now closed for the month of December for maintenance. Sunday-only members are welcome to attend 5 practices at Centennial during December to make up.
  
  The date has been set for our annual winter party featuring the world famous regift exchange. It will be the evening of Saturday January 14th at the Storr's house. Adult guests welcome. More details to follow.
  
  We would like to wish Erin a speedy recovery from whiplash injuries as a result of a road accident in October. Hope to see you back in the pool soon! Our heartfelt commiserations to Ruth on the loss of her Mother last week.
  
  

  Nov 20th 2005 Newsletter

  Welcome desk
  Welcome new members Francis, Julie and Thad, and welcome back to Sandy. Good to have you with us!
  
  Recent Events
  Thanks to everyone who wished me well for the New York marathon a couple of weeks ago. Click on Training Tales for the blurb.
  
  Upcoming Events
  North York Pentathlon Dec 11th. Entries due to Steve Senior by Dec 1st.
  Markham Sports Council (of which I am a board member and the only aquatics representative so far) will be publicly launched at a breakfast meeting with Mayor Don Cousens on Monday Nov 28th 7:30 - 8:30am. If anyone would like to attend with me you are welcome.
  
  Members Briefing
  The date has been set for our annual winter party featuring the world famous regift exchange. It will be the evening of Saturday January 14th at the Storr's house. Adult guests welcome. More details to follow.
  The swim suit order has been sent in to Omni swim. I will let you know the expected delivery date as soon as I know. For those who ordered a suit the money is now due payable to MMSC.
  If you prefer to choose your own swim suit Omni Swim is the best place locally for choice - they are at 1085 Bellamy Road unit 11, Scarborough. www.omniswim.com
  Clothing orders are going ahead for hoodies and golf shirts. Thanks to Marie for your help with getting the logo right.
  Thanks to everyone who participated in the citrus drive. Congratulations (once again!!) to Steve Senior who sold the most fruit. I think this year he gets to choose his own prize! And next year he will run a seminar on how to sell fruit. Thanks to Earl once again for organising the fruit orders.
  Please note that Milliken pool is closed during the month of December for maintenance. Sunday-only members are welcome to attend 5 practices at Centennial during December to make up.
  
  

  Nov 10th 2005 Newsletter

  Recent events
  Congratulations to Ron and Flo on awesome results in the Florida Ironman on the weekend. Ron finished in 10:48:55 and Flo in 11:02:21. You are both truly amazing! Hope you enjoyed it.
  Congratulations to all the Angus Glen Half Marathoners. I heard the weather wasn't ideal.
  I thoroughly enjoyed the New York City Marathon - it was an unforgettable experience!
  
  Upcoming events
  North York Pentathlon Dec 11th. Entries due to Steve Senior by Dec 1st.
  Markham Sports Council (of which I am a board member and the only aquatics representative so far) will be publicly launched at a breakfast meeting with Mayor Don Cousens on Monday Nov 28th 7:30 - 8:30am. If anyone would like to attend with me you are welcome.
  
  Members briefing
  Commiserations to Ruth who broke her ankle whilst out running on Monday. We hope you heal quickly and look forward to seeing you back in the pool as soon as possible.
  Citrus orders are due in to Earl tonight.
  I have finished taking clothing orders. The hoodies order is going ahead at the reduced price of $40 each. If you ordered a hoodie you can now pay. Only 4 people ordered a golf shirt so I'm not certain at this time if our supplier will go ahead with that. I'll let you know and I hope those 4 people understand if it doesn't happen this time.
  I will continue to take swim suit orders until this Sunday.
  Marie misplaced a swim suit (red/orange/black club suit) at Miliken pool a couple of weeks ago - did anyone see it?
  
  

  Oct 26th 2005 Newsletter

  Recent events
  Three of us went to the Brantford meet Oct 15th. Clare had a fabulous evening with a first place (25 breast) three second places, one 3rd and one 4th place. Michelle was attending her first swim meet and came away with a 4th place finish in the 25 free. She thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next one. I got a new PB in the 50 breast. Liz.
  
  Kathy Tam joined MMSC last season as a newcomer to swimming and triathlon. She had an awesome year and has shared her expereinces with us in the story attached. Thanks Kathy - you are an inspiration!
  
  Upcoming events
  
  The annual NYMAC Pentathlon will be held on Sunday, December 11 at the Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre in (the city formerly known as) North York. This is usually a well attended meet and a great opportunity to target your training towards before the holiday season hits full stride.
  The Pentathlon is a unique event. Each swimmer will be entered into the following 5 (short course i.e. 25 m) events: 50m Butterfly, 50m Backstroke, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Freestyle and 100 I.M. The total time from each event will be your Pentathlon score. Penalty times are assigned if you do not swim an event or are DQ'ed.
  There are also relay events - 4x50m Mixed Medley and 4x50m Mixed Freestyle.
  Cost for the event is $25 ($30 for deck entries on the day). A lunch will be provided following the meet.
  There are three ways to register:
  
  1. Fill out the attached Registration Form and hand it (along with a cheque payable to MMSC) to Steve Senior by Thursday Dec 1 (who will then forward the club entry to NYMAC). Please indicate if you wish to swim on a relay team
  2. Fill out the registration form included in the attached NYMAC Info Package and sent it directly to NYMAC by Dec 4.
  3. Show up early on Dec 11 in the hopes you can make a deck entry. Full details are included in the attached NYMAC Info Package.
  Steve S
  
  It has been confirmed that Nationals will be held in Calgary in May.
  
  A few things coming up away from the pool: all the best to Ron and Flo heading off to the Florida Ironman Nov 5th. Hope you're enjoying your taper! That same weekend I'll be running the New York City Marathon (hence my absence from the pool as I get some Zeds in the bank), and closer to home some of you are doing the new Angus Glen half marathon.
  
  Members Briefing
  Citrus - Still awaiting news following the latest hurricane. We'll update you as soon as we know.
  Clothing - is progressing. Slowly. I will have golf shirt samples to try on Sunday, and the hoodie order will be placed just as soon as I can get final confirmation of the details.
  Swim suit catalogues are here, and we are in the process of picking a couple of styles. We'll start taking orders probably on sunday.
  Pub night on sunday. Pick a location.
  
  
  

  Oct 5th 2005 Newsletter

  
  Welcome desk
  Welcome newcomers Julie, Christina and Eerik. We are up to 45 signed up members now! There was a slightly lower turnout for Sunday practice last week so we have decided not to cap Sunday-only membership at this time (our decision to start a wait-list is based on attendance rather than membership numbers). Our next sunday practice will be October 16th so we will look at the situation again then. Full-time membership will remain open throughout the year.
  
  Recent events
  If you have any stories to share about your racing/training please send them to me.
  
  Upcoming Events
  Entry form and information package were attached in the last newsletter for the Brantford meet, Saturday, Oct 15 at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Complex. Warm-up starts at 5:15pm. It is a short meet - not too challenging - 25m events are available. A light meal will be served following the meet (~9:00pm). Door prizes will be given away. Fee is $25. All entries/$$ to me by Tuesday Oct 11.
  Steve Senior
  Ph: 416 235-3743 Fx: 416 235-4101
  Clare, Michelle and I are going - how 'bout you? Should be fun....we can car pool....short races, don't need to be fit....I know some of you are thinking about it...Liz.
  
  Members briefing
  Happy thanksgiving! There is no Sunday practice this week as we would all sink anyhow!
  
  Thanks to everyone who got their goal sheets in to me. I will be passing them to Steve this week. If you didn't get around to it no worries, you can still fill one in at any time. Ask me if you want one.
  
  Great to wear about town and on deck at swim meets - Club Clothing is on it's way. We will have heavy weight cotton hoodies, full zip, double layer hood ('Roots' quality) at $58 (youth sizes) $63 (adult sizes) and golf shirts in mens and women's cuts at $33. Both will be grey with the club logo embriodered. I hope to have samples on Thursday (if not then next Tuesday) and will bring them to practices up to Sunday Oct 16th. If you are interested but can't make it to the pool let me know and we can work something out. It is unlikely we will place a second order this season as we want to avoid shipping costs.
  
  As usual if you have any questions or suggestions, racing or training stories to share, feel free to contact me.
  Liz
  
  
  

  Sept 29th 2005 Newsletter

  
  Welcome Desk
  Welcome Lawrence. Hope you enjoyed your first swim with us.
  We are close to our limit of Sunday only members now and will be starting a waitlist soon. Full time membership will remain available.
  
  Recent events
  Thanks for a good turnout at pub night on Sunday. Please let me know if you would like to announce a pub night for a particular occasion... or just because...and I will be happy to put it on the schedule.
  
  Upcoming Events
  Entry form and information package are available for the Brantford meet, Saturday, Oct 15 at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Complex. Warm-up starts at 5:15pm. It is a short meet - not too challenging - 25m events are available. A light meal will be served following the meet (~9:00pm). Door prizes will be given away. Fee is $25.
  All entries/$$ to me by Tuesday Oct 11.
  Steve Senior
  Ph: 416 235-3743 Fx: 416 235-4101
  
  If you have registered with MMSC you are, or soon will be, a member of Master Swimming Ontario (MSO). The MSO AGM is coming up on Saturday Nov 26th, Etobicoke Olympium. You are welcome to attend - minutes of last years meeting and agenda for this years are available. If there is anything you would like to see change at the provincial level this is the forum at which to address it. Shona has served on the board of MSO in the past.
  
  Members briefing
  Please note a change to our schedule: there will be no practice on Sunday October 9th due to the Thanksgiving holiday the following day. Happy thanksgiving! First Centennial practice is on Tuesday Oct 4th 9pm.
  
  Last chance to get your goal sheet in to us. We need them in by Sunday October 2nd. Even if you haven't been out to a practice yet you can still e-mail it back to me. The more we know about your hopes, dreams and ambitions the better chance there is we can help you acheive them.
  
  I am making some progress with club clothing. I hope to have samples of hoodies and golf shirts for you to try on next week.
  
  As usual if you have any questions or suggestions, racing or training stories to share, feel free to contact me.
  
  Liz
  
  
  

  Sept 21st 2005 Newsletter

  
  
  Welcome Desk
  Welcome Michele - hope you had a good swim on Sunday.
  
  Recent events
  
  My first “try a tri” was in Grimsby on July 24th and I was super nervous and very happy to find out that Clare was also in the race. I was really surprised how much I liked it. I have lots and lots of room for improvement but just the general feeling around me was so positive and I really enjoyed myself. Somehow Clare and I started at the same time, completely lost each other and then finished almost at the same time. I was 96th out of 198 over all and 12th in my age group.
  My second “give it a try tri” and last one for the season was at Wasaga Beach September 9th. I liked this one too, but it wasn’t at all as organized as the Subaru series. I came out 46th out of 121 and 2nd in my age group. My daughter Lucy (4) was in the 3-5 age group for the KOS races and loved every minute of it!
  So, if anyone is thinking about “trying a tri” I will be happy to share my experiences with them. I think though, starting with a Subaru series race may be a good idea just from my small experience.
  Lisa.
  
  Congratulations to Lisa and Lucy on their new careers in triathlon and a great result in Wasaga Beach! I agree the Trisport and Multisport organisations have very different 'flavours'. I find the Trisport (Subaru) series to be run in a rigid, strictly professional way and the Multisport (HSBC) series to be more personal and adaptable to the conditions of the moment. Be open to trying them both and see for yourself. Liz.
  
  Upcoming events
  Our first swim meet of the season is Brantford October 15th. All registered members welcome, no minimum ability or experience required. Give it a try, have some fun, set yourself some personal records! Talk to Steve Downs or Steve Senior for more info.
  
  Members briefing
  Our meet and greet pub night has been rescheduled to this coming Sunday September 25th so more people could attend. I will order some food - if you choose to eat just add your share of the cost when you pay.
  Attached is the new goal sheet for you to complete and return. The more information you can give us about your swim-related goals the better we will be able to serve your needs.
  
  If you haven't already done so be sure to look at the notes in 'About Us' on lane etiquete which tells you how to pass / let pass swimmers going at different paces without causing too much stress to one another.
  
  For full time members; Tuesday and Thursday practices begin at the Centennial Center on October 4th. Due to major renovations the main entrance is now closed (actually it's not even there any more!). Park around the back near the Go Station and use the entrance there.
  
  As usual if you have any questions or suggestions, racing or training stories to share, feel free to contact me.
  
  

  Sept 13th 2005 Newsletter:

  
  Welcome Desk
  Welcome newcomers: Lianne, William, Sarina and Amit. Welcome back to everyone else - some long established members (like Norm, member for 14 years!) and others who have been swimming with us a bit over the summer and join us now for their first full season. I hope you enjoyed the practice session on Sunday.
  
  Recent events
  'I wanted to let you know of KC's success this summer in our Summer Long Distance Swim, as part of the Norway Bay Municipal Association's Regatta. KC swam a terrific race, and was the fourth person to reach the finish dock of approximately 50 swimmers. She was second in her age class, beaten by mere seconds. It was a choppy day but she just powered through everything.
  Gerrie.'
  
  Congratulations to Kathryn Atkinson (4) Joseph Atkinson (6) and Robert McManus (8) who raced at the Parry Sound Aquathlon Kids of Steel in August. It was the debut event for Kathryn and Joseph. Kathryn finished her race in a stunning time of 2:06 for a 3rd place finish. Clare and I did the adult aquathlon. It was the roughest open water swim I had ever done - I actually felt sea sick - however I got a kick out of my silver medal despite the miniscule turnout.
  
  John A, Clare, Ian and Shawna all raced at Guelph Lake II and had a good time, I heard.
  
  The tri season is pretty much over in Ontario but Ron and Flo are busy preparing for Ironman Florida - we wish them all the best for that.
  
  If you would like to share your stories of events you've been to, particular training regimes that have worked for you or whatever, we'd love to hear them.
  
  Upcoming events
  
  Next Sunday night is our second practice at 8pm and afterwards we will go to the pub for a meet & greet social time, snacks and refreshments. We go to Brodies which is on Hwy 7 west of Unionville mainstreet. From the Miliken pool go North on Kennedy, turn left (west) on hwy 7. Brodies is on the right (north) side. If you cross the train tracks you've gone too far. Everyone is welcome. Please try to attend even if only for a short time. Please drink responsibly: car pool, or choose non- alcoholic drinks.
  
  Our first swim meet at Brantford is not far away. Mark October 15th on your calendar if you plan to go and we will have details soon. For those of you who have not attended a swim meet but are curious feel free to ask Steve Downs or Steve Senior (or any competitive swimmer in the club) about it. Masters meets are open to everyone - no minimum ability or experience required. We all had a 'first time'.
  
  
  

  August 24th 2005 Newsletter:

  
  Welcome desk
  Welcome to all the newcomers who have come out to summer swims: Greg, Gay, Dave, Mike and Brian. You will find the atmosphere somewhat different when we resume our normal season in September - hope it's what you're looking for.
  
  Recent events
  Dan, our national champion, came back from the World Masters Games in Edmonton with two silvers and a gold to add to his growing medal collection. Way to go Dan - it's really been your year! He has promised to share his stories with us in a future newsletter.
  Congratulations to all our triathletes who are still in the midst of their racing season. I would especially like to mention Ruth and Clare who came out of the water first in their repsective age groups in Orillia last weekend.
  
  Upcoming events
  There is an open water 5km swim September 11th, near Stratford (no wetsuits). I have the entry details if anyone is interested.
  Clare, me and our kids are doing the Parry Sound aquathlon on Saturday (swim and run).
  
  Members Briefing
  We have a record number of returning members signed up before the start of the new season. Thanks for your continued commitment. Membership forms will be sent out by e-mail to all those who have not yet signed up. Please print it off, complete it and bring it along with your cheque book to the first practice on Sunday September 11th, 7:30-8pm at Milliken pool. As in previous years a wait list will begin once we reach the congestion limit. Clothing orders will be taken with your membership renewal. We will have samples of the golf shirt and hoodie on September 11th and 18th. There was no interest in the white T-shirt so we have dropped that.
  If anyone has anything they would like to contribute to the newsletter at any time, such as a report on an event you attended, your top tips for training and racing success, or just a bit of news about yourself, please feel free to send it in.
  
  If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact Liz at any time.
  
  
  

  July 22nd 2005 Newsletter:

  
  
  Hi All
  Hope you're enjoying the summer. We're seeing lots of you at the pool on Tuesdays which is great!
  
  World Masters Games begins in Edmonton today. Dan is swimming in the following events:
  July 22 200 Breast Event # 6 ( 45-49 age group )
  July 23 100 Breast Event # 14 ( 45-49 age group )
  July 24 50 Breast Event # 20 ( 45-49 age group )
  During the games real time results will be available at www.csca.org/wmg2005.
  This link isn't working for me right now (it's still early in Alberta I guess). The games web site is http://www.2005worldmasters.com/ Maybe results will become available there too.
  
  Congratulations to everyone on a great day in Peterborough July 10th. In the half ironman Ron came in 1st in the age group in the swim and finished 59th overall out of 545 in 5:07:26. Flo finished 2nd in the swim and 3rd in the bike, finishing 5th overall in the age group. Kathy, in her first season of triathlon, completed her first half ironman despite an illness. Vicky, John, Erin and Ruth all did the sprint. Vicky, after a year off and a baby, finished 3rd in the age group. John had a great day including a 21:54 run. Ruth had a personal best swim, though technical problems with the bike slowed her down after that. Well done all of you - hope I didn't miss anyone. Martin and Clare are going to Grimsby on Saturday - anyone else?
  
  See you in the pool some time, Liz.
  
  
  

  June 15th 2005 Newsletter:

  
  

  Congratulations to Mariyan on the safe arrival of your granddaughter. Thanks for the postcard - look forward to catching up with you when you get back.

  Congratulations also to Dan for making it onto the Fridge of Fame via an article in the Economist and Sun about the Canadian record.

  Check the calendar for the next few weeks. Sunday Swimming has now finished for the summer. Sunday swimmers are welcome to attend Tuesday nights 9-10:30 at the Centennial pool until August 30th at no extra cost. June 16th is the last Thursday session until the fall.

  Current members can sign up for next season at a reduced rate until June 28th. A registration form with details was attached in the last email newsletter, or you can get a paper copy from Liz at the pool.

  The triathlon season is well underway now. Liz enjoyed my an road sprint race a couple of weeks ago, and didn't even finish last! Ron raced in Milton last weekend and reached a top speed of 86kph on that hill coming back in off the bike course. Good luck to Kathy doing the long-course in Muskoka this weekend (anyone else?). All the best to Martin, John A and Ian going to Guelph Lake next weekend for the sprint and Kathy for the Olympic as she prepares for the half ironman, (anyone else?).

  There is an open water swim at Brights Grove, Lake Huron July 9th. Distances are 1.5km and 3km. I think there was some interest. Let Liz know if you're thinking about going.

  We should have a pub night to celebrate the start of summer swimming June 21st. Location TBC by consensus.

  
  
  

  May 30th 2005 Newsletter:

  
  

  Thanks for an amazing turnout at the AGM last night. There was lots of food and fun and it was good to see everyone there. Here are the highlights from the evening.

  • Adina was presented with a card and gift and we wish her well for her wedding next month.
  • Earl presented the financial report. In a nutshell the club is in a good position financially. We are able to freeze fees for the 2005/6 season, cover the cost of summer swimming and offer an earlybird rebate for renewing members.
  • Clare reported a membership of 58, 20 of whom are sunday-only.
  • Steve S congratulated Paul, Jason, Ian Gerrie and KC on attending swim meets for the first time and welcomed Dan and Flo who swam for our club for the fisrt time this year. Dan was presented with a bottle of bubbly to help celebrate his Canadian record achieved at National last weekend, and we got to admire his 3 medals.
  • Steve D was presented with a golf shirt complete with club logo. He did a good job of faking surprise as we had actually given it to him early so he could wear it at Nationals.
  • The president's thankyou gifts were presented to the executive team for their hard work and dedication all year - Clare, Earl, Ruth, Steve S and Marie - to Dean for his work on the web site and to June for her help with the winter party, the ski day and the club photo album.
  • The annual awards were presented as follows:
    1. Team spirit: Earl, for his work on the executive, the citrus drive and extras such as building the four whiteboards.
    2. Outstanding swimmer: Mariyan, holder of 11 provincial and 1 national record.
    3. Healthy active lifestyle: Ruth, who swims, bikes, runs, walks, golfs, skis, exercises every day, runs the Markham Centaurs running club, and even shows up to swimming on her silver wedding anniversary!
    4. Most improved swimmer: John Atkinson started as a non swimmer and is now preparing for his first sprint triathlon.
  • The registration forms for next season were distributed. Included on the form is a clothing order section. Choose between a white t-shirt, white golf shirt or grey hoodie with full zip, all with the blue club logo on the front. Ruth is trying to get samples of the hoodie for sizing. Add the clothing order to your September cheque. The clothing will be ready by the start of the new season.
  • One challenge we face for the summer/fall 2006 is the rennovations planned for the Centennial community Center. We are assured by the Town of Markham that our regular 2005/6 season will not be affected but we will be working on contigency plans for next summer/fall and hope to maintain a workable schedule of practices into the 2006/7 season. Members are encouraged to attend a public meeting at the pool on Tuesday May 31st 7-9pm, where rennovation plans will be presented. Whilst we look forward to the completed improvements we anticipate making some temporary accomodations during the working time and hope we can get through with minimum disruption.
  • The new executive was 'elected' as follows:
    • President: Liz
    • Treasurer: Earl
    • Secretary: Clare
    • Meets coordinator: Steve S
    • Clothing coordinator: Ruth
    • Web master: Dean and Earl.
    • Social committee: Marie, Gerrie and June
    • Thanks to all for standing once again, and welcome aboard to Dean, Gerrie and June. It's great to have so many people helping out with the running of the club. Many hands...
  • Check the schedule for June carefully. We only have 2 Sunday swims left and 3 Thursday swims. Summer swimming begins on June 21st and is free to all members.
  • The triathlon season is upon us. Let me know what races you are doing so we can support you. I'm doing an off road sprint race on Saturday - the swim will be cold but that's the least of my worries!

  May 18th 2005 Newsletter:

  
  Good luck to all those swimming at *nationals this weekend*. Best wishes especially to Dean who will be swimming with 3 generations of Mackies. To Mariyan - are you going to break any more records? And to all those competing at the national level for the first time... just think - if the 20 people ahead of me in my age group don't show up...
  
  Also we'll be thinking of *Ron and Flo* heading off to the Disney half iron person in Florida. I don't feel a bit sorry for them as they battle the heat and try to make it around 5 theme parks before sundown after the race.
  
  Remember there is* no Sunday swim* this weekend due to the Victoria day holiday. Sunday-only members are welcome to come out on a Tuesday or Thursday this week or next to make up for it. In fact - full time members would also be welcome to come out on a Tuesday or Thursday...where have you all been lately?
  
  Don't forget the* AGM and celebration is on May 29th* (Sunday after next). The club will be providing food and we hope to have early-bird registration forms available for you on the night. Once again, if anyone has any nominations for exec members or items for the agenda please let Liz know.
  

  May 11th 2005 Newsletter:

  
  Hello everyone
  
  I have some meet results. Congratulations to Mariyan on another great performance, this time at Trois-Rivieres. He got 5 first places; bettered his times on 50 m. free 37.05, 100 free 1:25.40 & 50 fly 51.89. A few of us attended the Not so Dry Run at Etobicoke last weekend. Clare got 3 firsts and a second (though how she managed to get first and second in the 30 breast I'm not too sure...), Flo got 2 firsts, Liz got a first, second and third. Dan got 2 seconds, Mariyan got 3 firsts and Ron got 2 firsts and a fourth. We scrounged together a relay team with one borrowed member from Alderwood and got first place. Hope I didn't miss anything.
  
  The Annual Celebration and AGM is fast approaching. May 29th after a short practice at the Boston Pizza on 48 south of 14th. Please plan to attend. We will be presenting our awards, reporting on the 2004/5 season and looking forward to the 2005/6 season. The new exec will be elected: please forward you nominations to me as soon as possible. Positions are flexible according to the skills and commitment level of the individuals involved, but the jobs include president, treasurer, secretary, PR, social, meets coordinator, team clothing. New for 2005/6 we should have a webmaster.
  
  If there is anything you would like to raise at the AGM please let me know and I will add it to the agenda.
  
  Thanks to those who continue to help with lane ropes and tidying equipment away after practice.
  
  Only a week and a half to go till Nationals. We have 9 people attending over the four days so I hope you are all feeling well and on top of your game right now. Stay healthy!