With the reopening of the Fort Garry campus’ Joyce Fromson Pool Oct. 1 comes swimming programs offered to students of all skill levels — whether just learning to swim or for the more advanced swimmer.

While introductory and intermediate swimming lessons are offered in the fall and winter semesters for students who are either learning how to swim, or who would like to improve their swimming, there are also two other programs geared toward advanced swimmers.

Junior Bisons swimming coach and Bisons swim team assistant coach Dillon Perron — a former decorated Bisons swimmer, who set a provincial record in men’s 100-metre breaststroke in 2014 — is enthusiastic about the “ever expanding” swimming programs offered on campus.

Perron said when he started swimming at the University of Manitoba, “swimming on campus was essentially just university athletes,” before the university started expanding its programming to swimming lessons.

“In the last two years or so, [the U of M has] also brought in a third avenue of swimmers, and that is what we call ‘masters’ athletes,” Perron explained, adding that these athletes are “generally adults who are looking for fitness or some competitive swimming.”

There are two Masters Swim Club programs. The first, the Bison Masters Triathlon Swim Club, is offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6 to 7:30 a.m., while the second, the Mid-Can Bison Masters Swim Club, is offered Sunday mornings from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

“The morning program is more directed towards people who want to participate in triathlons,” Perron said. “Or, maybe they don’t even want to do triathlons but they like training for triathlons.”

“And then we have an evening program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, that’s more [of] a conventional swimming program where you’re going to cover all four strokes — breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and freestyle — and the technical development of those as well as the fitness component.”

Perron emphasized that the programs are for “anybody over the age of 18 who’s interested in either just staying fit [and] being in the water, or potentially there’s somebody who wants to do some competing in the summer.”

The first sessions of both Masters Swim Club programs are set for Oct. 3 once the Joyce Fromson Pool reopens on Oct. 1, and all sign-ups to swim programming on campus can be conveniently found online on the Sport and Rec facilities website.

For students hesitant to sign up or who are worried about time commitment, Perron emphasized the flexibility of the program.

“If they’re going to do the triathlon program, they can either come just Tuesday or just Thursday or both Tuesday and Thursday,” Perron said.

“And if they’re going to do the other program […] same deal, they can come one time a week, two times a week or three times a week.”

While swimming programs on campus are not covered by the Sport and Rec fee, the prices for the programs that run the duration of the desired semester are manageable for those interested.

The Bison Masters Triathlon Swim Club program starts at $267.15 and the Mid-Can Bison Masters Swim Club program starts at $340.55.

Perron also stressed that the Masters Swim Club programs are not for beginners.

“It’s not a learn to swim [program],” Perron explained. “You have to have some fundamentals.”

For students learning to swim, an Adult Introduction to Swimming course is offered for $147. Students who are intermediate swimmers can sign up for the Adult Intermediate Swimming Lessons, which are offered for the same price.

While there are private and semi-private swimming lessons students can sign up for as well, they are more expensive at $389.00.

Perron also noted that students who are experienced swimmers should not be reluctant to sign up for the Masters Swim Club programs if they are worried about a serious training environment.

“It’s a low-pressure environment to have fun and get fit and challenge yourself,” Perron said. “There’s no expectations for, ‘you have to be this fast,’ or anything like that.”

“There’s quite a spectrum in both programs,” he said. Perron added that swimmers of different speeds swim in different lanes, “so generally you’re not going and being overwhelmed and getting run over.”

Perron said the program coaches understand that students have school and work, so students arriving a few minutes late or having to leave early is completely fine.

He added that these programs offer a drop-in session that students can attend for free, so there’s no pressure on students who do not end up liking the program.

Perron himself will be teaching the Bison Masters Triathlon Swim Club, and he said fellow former national swimmer Taylor Hardman will be teaching the Mid-Can Bison Masters Swim Club.

“You can almost think of it as a fitness class, like a Zumba thing,” Perron said.

“It’s a structured environment for people who like to be in the water, but who are, really, kind of at a loss for what to do in the water.”

 

For any questions about the Masters Swim Club, students can email Perron at dillon.perron@umanitoba.ca, and students can register for swimming lessons at sportandrec.umanitoba.ca.