Newmarket Synchronized Swim Club hosted its first Olympic Day at the Aquadome to a full house of athletes and spectators. The air was abuzz with the excitement of a day dedicated to pursuing excellence in the sport of Synchronized Swimming in our little corner of the world.

The athletes eagerly prepared for their time in the spotlight, to work with two of Canada’s finest Olympians, and both among the best in the whole world. Our honoured guests were Sheilagh Croxon, Canada’s Olympic Coach (Sydney 2000), and Leslie Taylor, Canada’s Olympic Judge (Sydney 2000).

The primary objective of the day was to officially kick off in true Olympic spirit, our combined efforts, in introducing Skills n Drills, as a full season program at Newmarket Synchro. We gratefully acknowledge Sheilagh’s efforts in allowing us to make this our reality, and look forward to providing this very exciting program to our athletes.

Opening Ceremonies took place at 1:00 PM. While the parents sat in anticipation of the day ahead, Mary-Jane, our Head Coach and organizer of our Olympic Day, announced the day’s events and the schedule began to unfold. The Mezzanine was standing room only, as our athletes were brought in and seated in the floor section along the front of the room…best seats in the house!! MaryD. and Emmy snapped pictures as the guest speakers and honoured VIP’s carried out their various roles. Click Here for Pictures. The anticipation of what lay ahead was electric.

Kelly Towsely, (Laura) - our resident mom who is a Registered Nutritionist, started off the day’s agenda, and quickly had everyone’s undivided attention, as she presented a tremendous session on Nutrition for the Athlete. The session focussed on proper nutritional habits for an athlete to establish during the training season, with a special emphasis on practice times and competitions. Parents and athletes alike were a very animated part of the session, and the hands on workshops and presentations given by athlete groups, maximized participation and left an everlasting impact in the minds of all who were present…and even on those who were not, as the parents and siblings later shared their newfound knowledge at home and school with family and friends. Informative handouts prepared by Kelly will serve as ongoing reminders for the parents and athletes. They have already earned their place as we have heard from many, as the groundwork for families to revisit their eating habits and make room for improvement.

Parents’ feedback included the following about the Nutritional seminar:

…”The nutritional talk was very informative and supported many things, I'm sure us moms, tell our little athletes all the time.  However, it sounded much more official coming from a nutritionist.  It makes my job as a mom much easier when it comes to agreeing on a healthy snack for my daughter.” 

…” It was a pleasure to get an overview of nutritional tips from a professional. Having the parents and athletes both present was a great idea. My daughter and I have discussed some of the nutritional recommendations and already moved to implement some- such as the water intake, and nutritional snacks.  She is looking at the suggestion more from an athletic point of view, than a "nagging Mom" trying to force healthy choices!  Hopefully this commitment for healthy choices will continue! “

…”Of course also very much thanks to Kelly Towsley for her information regarding nutrition and getting the girls properly prepared for a very busy season.”

…  “I thought the nutrition lecture was very helpful not only for
general nutrition but especially the way she differentiated between the eating before and after practice as well as the competition preparation and competition day eating information.  I will find the handout very helpful.”

…” From our club nutritionist we both heard the important message about feeding an athletes body 24/7 especially in preparation before practice and competition events. Even as an R.N. I gained valuable tips too.”

Another swimmer advised that Mom went home and got rid of all the poor nutritional snacks from the swim snack box. Yet another parent advised that with other siblings in the house that were also athletes, the entire regiment of meal planning and snacks was reviewed with the whole family, and all agreed to address the foods they ate and when, to ensure optimal opportunity for successful training.

What great feedback…and definitely a gold medal to Kelly Towsley for a tremendous job well done!! Thank You Kelly for all your hard work and preparation.

Sheilagh Croxon arrived at the pool amidst anxious young swimmers and looks of sheer admiration and awe. It is hard to explain how many times swimmers scrambled to get closer and feel the power of an Olympian in their midst.

The teams with their Coaches began one by one, spending an hour working with Sheilagh. Her connection to our athletes at every age level and skill level was magical. Sheilagh spoke, and they all listened….with the aspiration of an Olympic goal in their little corner of the world. They listened, they watched intently, they tried and they responded. They made improvements, getting better a little at a time, and knowing each little change made a difference. They remembered Sheilagh’s guestbook message to them from the beginning of the season… “Continue to make each practise count...this is really what true success is all about - taking those "baby steps" each and every day! Have fun.” They came, they saw, they shone, they had fun, and they really didn’t want to leave. It was truly a joy to be a part of.

Sheilagh’s drills were amazing and she spent the time with each and every Athlete and their Coach, to impart her knowledge and make each one personally feel that she had made a difference. She impressed upon them the need to always attend to posture. It is the backbone of success. The athletes loved being able to see and feel the difference with the workout they received. They went home excited to relay their stories of success, and their tales of wanting to be an Olympian one day. Sheilagh’s passion rubbed off, and the swimmers are ready to reach for the stars.

After watching the Sydney 2000 Canadian Team video, one of our swimmers came back to the deck and in total awe said to Sheilagh.

…”Whoa!!!…YOU really coached THAT TEAM?

Some feedback from Athletes and Coaches about their time with Sheilagh:

…” What a fantastically inspirational event for all.  As a young synchro swimmer, my daughter clearly received the message from Olympic coach Sheila, just how important posture in the sport is.”

…” Sheilagh Croxon's work with the girls was personal and very effective. Each girl seemed to get the personal Olympic touch from Sheilagh, to improve their skills and posture.”

…”It was soooo fun, and it didn’t even feel hard”

…”Sheilagh is very, very knowledgeable and nice!!! She connects with every swimmer.”

…”as a Coach, Sheilagh is really relaxed, and she can tell in like 10 seconds what someone is doing wrong, and exactly what they need to do to fix it. …and it works!”

…”Sheilagh has amazing drills that give almost immediate results…improvement is obvious after just one hour …AMAZING!!!”

…”Sheilagh truly provides an inspiration to every Coach and Swimmer who has the privilege of working with her!”

…” Even though my daughter could not swim she still felt she got something out of the day by being there.”

Sheilagh came into our lives and struck pure GOLD!!! For the short time she was with us, our dreams became a reality… for just long enough to ignite the passion of an athlete and challenge the power within. The Coaches are renewed in their desires to excel, and the swimmers want more. Can anyone ask for more?

While Sheilagh had the undivided attention of the athletes in the water, Leslie Taylor arrived and captured the undivided attention of the parents, and rotating swimmers.

Leslie Taylor emulates passion for the sport of synchronized swimming. From the moment she arrived decked out in her Sydney 2000 Olympic attire, Green Jacket and all, she succeeded in transporting her audience to the Olympic Games.

Leslie transformed the room to an Olympic venue with posters, boards covered in pictures of the real synchro world at the Olympics, Olympic attire of every kind, and memorabilia that could and did entertain for hours. Leslie captured the audience’s attention with first hand stories that were both entertaining and enlightening. She displayed her love and passion for this sport, and the audience loved her for it. We all came away, feeling more convinced that our daughter’s had made the right choice in wanting to be a part of this great sport, and wanting more from people like Leslie and Sheilagh, who have given so much for so long to make Synchronized Swimming a much strived for goal for our swimmers.

Leslie brought reality, humour and a sense of commitment like no other to our little corner of the world this day. She spoke with honesty and passion about her many experiences as an Olympic Judge representing Canada in Sydney. She made us laugh and almost cry, and most importantly she made us feel her love of this sport. We could not be more grateful for her time with us, and look forward to having her share more with us in the future.

Feedback from Parents and Athletes to Leslie:

…” Both my daughter and I really enjoyed the event.  I truly enjoyed listening to Leslie speak about her Olympic adventure.  Her stories were both humorous and inspirational and reinforced my excitement about my daughter’s participation in the sport of synchronize swimming.  Thanks again”

…” from a parent point of view I thought it was excellent.  Listening to the Olympic official was fun and interesting.  It is very exciting and fascinating to hear about the whole Olympic experience and the behind the scenes info.  Thank you for a great day.”

…” Leslie Taylor’s enthusiasm for the sport was contagious as she conveyed wonderful stories about her participation in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. All in all, just an awesome experience for us. Many thanks for making it all happen!!”

Finally a message loud and clear resounded from all of our members …

”Thank you for all the hard work that went into organizing this fantastic opportunity for our daughters and for us parents.”

We look forward with great anticipation to our next main event!!!

…and as we strive to achieve excellence in the sport of synchronized swimming, the last words of the day arrive from the BEST…

Thank You Leslie! And Thank You Sheilagh!