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RiverMonsters bringing swarms of swimmers to town

Fraser Valley swim clubs are converging on Hope this weekend.
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Coach Mike Freimark prepares his group of RiverMonsters for their next task, at last Friday’s practice. The club hosts its first-ever swim meet at the Dan Sharrers Aquatic Centre this weekend. (Barry Stewart photo)

It’s been 12 years since Hope hosted a swim meet. What used to be an annual event when the Hope Otters Swim Club were in their heyday at the old outdoor Centennial Pool. Now, the new RiverMonsters Swim Club is hoping to put the town back on the map for the Fraser Valley’s summer swimming circuit.

The club is bringing in six other Fraser Valley teams this weekend for a two-day event, which is planned to be much more than just a swim meet.

“We’re hoping to have 300 swimmers here, with their families,” said the club’s vice president, Catherine Freimark. “People are really excited to be coming back to Hope.

“There will be camping and tenting out back, by the skate park, at $15 per night, with proceeds coming to our club,” said Freimark. “Campers will start setting up on Friday — and the Lions Club is doing a pancake breakfast at the Curling Club, starting at 6:30 on Sunday morning, so the kids can be in the water by 8:00.

“And Brent Hayden, Olympic bronze medallist and World gold medallist is coming out to Hope, with his wife, Nadina at 10 a.m., Sunday.”

“Our MP, Mark Strahl, will be here at 8 a.m., Saturday, to say a few words and officially open the first RiverMonsters’ swim meet,” Freimark added.

Will there be noise?

“I hope so!” she enthused. “We’re bringing in stands for the fans and family members.”

Community organization Project Hope is planning a number of events to enhance the weekend.

“Saturday, at Diamond #1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., they’ll have local vendors and organizations setting up booths. There’ll be a dunk tank and other carnival-type activities,” explained Freimark. “The gate fee is $5.00, or $20 for a family of up to six people. Once you get in, everything is free — and it’s the same rate for the pancake breakfast.

“Saturday, late afternoon and evening, there will be a Re/Max hot air balloon tethered there and people can rides by donation. We’re extremely thankful to Project Hope and John Jones of Re/Max-NYDA Realty,” said Freimark.

“We’ve had about 15 people help organize the event but the whole community will be helping out this weekend,” she added. “If it wasn’t for the community getting behind out 10 little swimmers, there’s no way we could do it.”

Many local businesses have donated to the raffle draw and other prizes, including Hope Dairy Queen, which has helped sweeten the sting of getting “DQ’d” in a race.

“Kids can be disqualified if they do the wrong stroke and they can get pretty disappointed,” said Freimark. “But the Diary Queen is offering a ‘DQ prize’ for anyone who is disqualified, which will make them feel better.”

What the community can’t pull off on its own, is the expertise and the equipment needed to run a meet. “All the officials are coming in from other teams,” explained Freimark. “And the timing equipment comes in a trailer — the touchpads, stopwatches and computers. There will be three people and the touchpads in each lane making sure the time is right.

“All 10 of our kids will be at the meet and a few will be competing for their first time,” Freimark said.

Others have attended two meets already, at Mission and Haney. “Our kids did awesome in their first meet, at Mission,” said Freimark. “We had five ribbons between three swimmers. Danika Hope got sixth place in her first ever meet, out of about 33 swimmers — and Sonia Au-Yeung got a ribbon.

Freimark’s daughter Violette earned three, for top-12 finishes at Mission, then continued her good performances at Haney last weekend.

Her dad, “Coach Mike” said Violette brought home five ribbons and set a personal best in the 50-metre butterfly (sixth place) and 50-breaststroke. “Danika set a personal best in the 50-back and 100-free, with her top place of sixth in 100-free, and 50-back, also a respectable 11th in 50-breast.

“Avery Loring finished just out of a ribbon with a 13th in 50-free with a 49.42-second race,” said Mike, who is getting assistance from former Hope Otter Anna-Lise Cooke.

If you’re passing by the Dan Sharrers Aquatic Centre this weekend, take a few minutes drop in and cheer on the RiverMonsters.