The exciting victory added to the Dolphins’ swimming record, and will see the team enter section finals this weekend — and possibly the finals next Saturday in Pointe Claire.

According to co-head coaches Alison and Taylor Bond, this year’s team, which drew an unprecedented number of members in all age categories, has enjoyed a remarkable season.

“With about 150 swimmers on the team, it’s the biggest team ever by about 20 kids, so for us that’s really our definition of success,” said Taylor Bond during an early morning swim practice at the Westmount pool on Wednesday. “We’ve had a good year in terms of winning and losing, but having all these kids get out of bed early to come and swim is what’s most impressive.”

Oliver Sugden, one of the Dolphins’ many parent volunteers, pointed out that this year’s team was able to compete in the league’s higher and more elite Section A thanks to its accomplishments last season.

“We’ve been led into another great season,” said Sugden. “Last year we competed under Section B and won, which allowed us to move up to a more elite section. We’ve done really well and we’re very pleased.”

A visit from an Olympian

The Dolphins received a special treat last month when Montreal-born Olympic swimmer Tobias Oriwol dropped by the Westmount pool to visit them. Competing in the 200m backstroke event in Beijing this summer, Oriwol offered some words of wisdom to a crowd of admiring Dolphin swimmers between practice sessions.

“I think the kids really enjoyed hearing him speak,” said Alison Bond. “I know some of the swimmers have gotten hold of his email address and they’ve sent him an email or have asked for his autograph. They’ll be watching him on TV, and it’ll be cool to be able to say that he came to Westmount.”

A dedicated student as well as celebrated athlete, Oriwol stressed how important balance can be in keeping up with school work and sports. He emphasized how his success came with a lot of sacrifice and hard work, but certainly inspired many young swimmers to set small goals and remain focused.

With the help of their coaches and dedicated network of over 25 parent volunteers, the Dolphins have yet again combined a sense of fun and cooperation with an added competitive edge.

“For us, it’s really exciting to see so many kids come out and join, since swimming is a tough sport [and usually involves] chasing walls and doing laps,” Taylor Bond said with a laugh. “We’ve tried to implement more of a team spirit this year. It’s really been about building a sense of community so that the kids come out and have fun with their friends.”

As their season draws to a close, swimmers and volunteers alike are sad to see the excitement die down — but are eagerly looking forward to next June, when the Dolphin family will reunite for another summer of camaraderie and competition.