New 'Aces' loving every minute
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After two full months, several former South Western Aquatics swimmers have adjusted well to life with the Wilmot Aquatic Aces.
When their Tillsonburg-Woodstock based swim club dissolved in the fall of 2016, the New Hamburg/Wilmot Township team opened its arms, allowing them to train in New Hamburg and Woodstock.
"I love it," said Dalton Sanderson. "I love it way more. It's a good environment with all the swimmers because you have some swimmers the same age as you. Before... you didn't. So you didn't that kind of friends like you do here.
"I love the training way more," Sanderson continued. "I would say it's not two hours of say, one hour of intense work and like one hour of break. It's two hours of hard work, non-stop, just keep on going."
Right off the bat, Sanderson said he had best times with the Aces.
"Basically all best times in my best stroke and I was really happy with it. Ever since, I've been getting best times. I think it's been four or five meets so far. So it hasn't hurt me (switching clubs) at all."
Given the opportunity to go back to Tillsonburg if a new club formed to replace SWA, Sanderson said no. Just no.
"Honestly, I would stay here with Joni (Maerten-Sanders)."
Sanderson trains three times per week in Wilmot, twice in Woodstock, and once in the morning in Tillsonburg.
"It's less hours than it was with SWA, but it's more intense. The Wilmot pool is so much nicer than Tillsonburg and this one (Southside), not to say they're bad, but eight lanes and the lanes are so much bigger (in New Hamburg). There's a lot more room in the pool and it's a nice temperature, it's not really hot. I like this pool, too, because it's a little bit colder - it's better to have a good workout in. In a warmer pool, you have a hard time breathing."
Moving into the second half of the 2016-17 season, Sanderson said it's full steam ahead with the Aces.
"I'm planning on staying here - that's my plan."
The actual announcement of SWA's closing arrived on Sanderson's birthday (Oct. 24).
"They didn't want to tell me on my birthday so they waited like two days. Yeah, it was a shock, but the same day I found out, we had a meeting with Joni to talk about what's going to happen. It was a good meeting. Me and Zan (Papadakos) went to the meeting and we talked about what it's going to look like, how it's going to be different..."
"Training times, and other opportunities on the team," said Zan Papadakos. "Different swim meets..."
"Like Ohio," said Sanderson.
"The Costa Rica trip," nodded Papadakos.
"Yeah, during March Break," said Sanderson. "We're both going."
Papadakos also said he was enjoying his Wilmot experience.
"I like it, I find it a lot more inclusive than SWA, there tended to be a lot of favouritism before. I just think it's better overall, in general. I think the experience of the coaches here just adds to how good it is."
Papadakos said he wasn't surprised by the downfall of SWA.
"Not really... It was always kind of in the back of everyone's minds, you knew it was going to happen at some point."
"The money situation," Sanderson nodded.
"You just didn't see it coming one day, and by the end of the week it was over already," said Papadakos.