>> Never too Early for Practice

The Record
April 12, 2006

Many people carpool, but who carpools to a pool?

Alyssa Bezeau, Stephanie Uhrig and Samantha and Rachel Kowalski are four synchronized swimmers who decided that in order to go far in their sport, they would train at a higher level at a club farther from home.

So in September they joined the Olympium Synchronized Swimming Club in Etobicoke, leaving the Waterloo Regional Synchronized Swim Club in their wake.

And with that, they signed up to do early mornings.

Real early mornings.

Mornings so early their alarm clocks may as well be synchronized.

They're on the road at 4:30 a.m. to make a practice time of 5:45. They allow one stop along way for the carpooling parent -- whoever comes up in the rotation -- a chance to get caffeinated.

In Etobicoke, half their training time is spent with synchro, the other half with rhythmic gymnastics and diving.

"I think it's about finding the program that suits you and the hours you like to spend," said Olympium coach Kelly Hogan, who drives to Etobicoke each day from Guelph .

The four swimmers attend school in Etobicoke before parents come to drive them home at 3:30 p.m.

Alyssa, 15, and Samantha, 16, go to Silverthorne High while Rachel, 14, and Stephanie, 13, are students at Hollycrest Middle School .

"They're actually at home more often when the rest of their family is at home," Hogan said.

The four swimmers looked at each other when asked what it takes to become good at synchronized swimming.

"Dedication," Bezeau offered after a long pause.

"Commitment," Samantha Kowalski said.

"I think showmanship," Hogan said, "because it's a performance sport.

"They need to get out and perform in front of everyone. And I'd say 'persistence' because it's not an easy sport."

The swimmers are aiming high, with Bezeau and the Kowalskis trying out for Team Ontario , which will compete at the Canada Games in the Yukon in February.

There are just 12 positions on Team Ontario and, after the third of three trials ended Saturday, only Samantha Kowalski made the cut as the seventh-ranked swimmer.

Bezeau, who was 10th after two trials, is now 14th.

Uhrig was on a Tier 6 team of 15-and-under swimmers that took bronze at the provincial championships in Etobicoke in February and placed eighth at the Eastern Divisional championships in March in Quebec City .

Rachel Kowalski, on another Tier 6 15-and-under team, won the gold medal at the provincials and silver in eastern Canada .

Samantha Kowalski and Bezeau were on the Tier 7 junior team that won gold in the provincials and placed third in Eastern Canada .

Samantha was also on the Tier 7 senior team that had similar first- and third-place results.

This past weekend, the Tier 7 junior team placed fourth out of 35 competitors at the Speedo junior nationals in Minneapolis .

Samantha Kowalski and Bezeau tied for 41st place in figures during that event.