A local couple is set to test their skills on the international level after making waves last weekend at a national swim competition.
Five St. Albert Masters Swim Club members swam their way to victory last weekend at the Canadian Masters National Swimming Championships in Kelowna, where they each walked away with top-three finishes, with some smashing provincial records.
Other winners were Deb Bancarz, Annalee Woollam and Hugh Woollam.
Husband-and-wife duo Catherine and Richard Roberts had a particularly successful run, qualifying for the 14th World FINA Aquatics Championships, which take place in Italy in mid-June.
"To go to a different country and compete with other athletes is a treat in itself," Catherine said.
This isn't their first appearance at worlds, having each attended in 2008. Richard, 69, said he hopes to rank higher, despite an increase in competitors.
"My best-place finish was a fourth and I had two sevenths and I'd like to do at least one better this time," he said. "I'd like to get in the top three in something this time around."
Catherine, 65, said it would be "extraordinary" to land in the top third of the competition, but added she isn't putting too much pressure on herself.
On the last day of the competition, after each has competed in five pool swims, they will attempt their first 3,000-metre open-water swim.
Both have experience competing in longer-distance swims, but they will have to overcome a handful of other unfamiliar hurdles to cross the finish line.
"The distance isn't going to be the problem, it's going to be the variances with being in the ocean depending on what the waves are like, how cold it is and how much jostling and bumping there's going to be," Richard said.
"I'm just hoping the waves aren't too high-impact. I'm anxious for that," Catherine said.
Increased training
The pair is planning to ramp up training in the coming weeks to prepare for the competition.
Richard said he had already swam for more than 90 hours so far this year, clocking more than 200 kilometres.
His training paid off at the national competition, where he had a pair of record-breaking swims in the men's 70-74 age category and managed four first-place finishes.
He took home gold medals in the 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly and the 200-metre and 400-metre individual medley. He ranked second in the 50-metre butterfly and 100-metre individual medley.
Catherine landed in the top five for each of her six events. She swam personal bests in each category, managing to break three provincial records in the process.
"She did six personal bests, so she really performed well and I'm quite proud of her," Richard said.
She took home two gold medals: in the 800-metre and 1,500-metre freestyle. She also landed two third-place finishes in the 100-metre and 200-metre freestyle in the women's 65-69 age category.
"I was very open-minded when I went and I ended up performing better than I ever could have dreamed," she said.
Catherine started seriously competing in swimming when she was 58, which means she doesn't have a lot of experience compared to some of her competitors, she said.
Both Catherine and Richard are the youngest in their age categories and Richard said this was an advantage for the pair.
Roughly 500 swimmers attended nationals, mostly from across Canada, but some from the United States and England. Swimmers ranged from 19 to 93 years of age.
Overall, the St. Albert team placed 32nd of 88 teams.
