Saturday, October 24th saw swimmers of all ages compete at the 58th annual North American Baltic Swim Meet. This year Estonians were very well represented thanks to the generous sponsorship of the National Estonian Foundation of Canada.
The youngest competitor was 6-year-old Lief Kolga; the eldest was 47-year-old Toomas Timmusk. The majority of the swimmers were young, with swimmers coming from as far as Montreal. Kudos to their parents and coaches for instilling a love for aquatic sport and a willingness to compete for their Baltic nation abroad.
45 races were contested, with Estonian swimmers winning 33. The other 12 victories went to Latvians, as the Lithuanians, unfortunately, did not field entrants this year. Masters swimmer Kia Puhm, in the pool after a self-admitted longer absence from competition, showed no rust, being the only swimmer to break records – in the 100-metre breaststroke and 100m backstroke.
All swimmers gained experience in competition while enjoying being representatives of their ancestral country. They were very visible in the pool as all Estonian entrants were equipped with a swim cap decorated with the colours of Estonia.
Mai Kreem was one of the tireless organizers of the meet. She has been associated with Baltic swimming since their inception. Thanks also go out to Latvian Modris Lorbergs, who booked the pool and organized the ribbons and medals.
The 14 & under Girls 200 Mixed Medley Relay Team. From the left Mari Timmusk, Liisbet Valter-Kalm, Marni Aruvald and Emma Timusk.
The 14 & under Girls 200m Freestyle Relay team (4x50m). From the left Vanessa Gold, Aleksa Gold, Leili Moore and Kirke Timmusk.
