Special Olympics finds new pool for swim competitions
Athletes with Special Olympics Manitoba are back in the swim for their annual summer games this weekend after the University of Manitoba closed its pool in April.
Originally scheduled for the Joyce Fromson Pool at the university, the 57 athletes, starting at age 15, were forced to look for a different aquatic facility when a leak forced the closure of the pool. The university later decided to replace it.
Now the athletes, whose Special Olympics oath is 'Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt,' are diving into the Selkirk Community Pool at the Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School this weekend. The first competitions began Friday.
Michelle Stamm, manager of the Selkirk pool, and herself a Special Olympics swim coach, said when she got the call from the organization, she immediately agreed to let the athletes go there. Then her own facility was forced to close last month after developing leaks in two pumps.
Stamm said the school's maintenance department was able to fix the pumps earlier in the week just in time for the competition.
'This is a very special event,' she said. 'We can't hurt them. They train all year for this.'
It will be a short opening for the pool, though. Another pump has started to leak, so as soon as the competition ends, the pool will close again.
Special O's sport director, Colleen Lowdon-Bula, said the only unfortunate part of the pool switch is it means many of the athletes, whose competitions are still at the university, won't be able to cheer on the swimmers and vice versa.
'Things like this happen, you deal with it as it comes,' Lowdon-Bula said.
'It pays to know people. I have known Michelle for a long time and I asked her for help and Michelle said 'absolutely.' The difference for the athletes is instead of sending the buses to the University of Manitoba, we are sending them to Selkirk instead.
'It is really amazing.'
Meanwhile, the university has said the replacement for its 60-year-old pool is scheduled to open this spring.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin RollasonReporter
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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