Finlay Knox’s frequent flyer miles are about to get a major boost. The 17-year-old Okotokian is headed for a pair of major competitions around the world with the Junior Pan Pacifics getting underway next week in Fiji followed by the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in the fall. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to swim down there (Fiji) and represent Canada,” said Knox, a Foothills Composite student entering his Grade 12 year. “I’ll be swimming a couple relays, hopefully breaststroke, 200 IM and possibly another individual event.” Knox and his Team Canada peers are arriving one week before the event to get prepared to take on the world. It’s a core group Swim Canada has put together through various training camps to build up the team dynamic in what can be an overwhelmingly individual sport. “It’s so much fun, everyone there is great, they’re all behind you and supporting,” Knox said. “We’re all great friends and the people I don’t know, we will become friends by the end of the trip. “They’re all positive, they all want to swim fast and that’s what we’re there to do.” One thing to get used to will be the South Pacific heat. Knox and his Foothills Stingrays teammates are fresh off the Arizona Senior Championships at the end of July, where they battled mid 40 degree Celsius conditions. “We acclimatized there and it was really nice to have an experience to swim outside and get prepared for Fiji,” Knox said. “The heat is one of the main things, trying to stay cool and not overheat. The atmosphere is going to be very live, very loud and just trying to channel the excitement there and swim fast with it.” Knox, previously an alternate for Team Canada’s entry at the Youth Olympic Games, got the green light for the red-and-white to swim in Buenos Aires, Oct. 6-18. “Now that I’m filling their spot I’m really excited to swim for Canada and do my best,” he said. The Okotokian is expected to swim in his better events in Argentina, including the 200m IM, 200m breaststroke, 100m freestyle as well as competing in the relay. “It should be a full week,” he added. Arizona Heat Desert like conditions proved to be no match for the Foothills Stingrays. Swimming in their final meet as the Stingrays – the club is rebranding as the Okotoks Mavericks going forward – the swim team’s 11 competitors all excelled at the Arizona Senior Championships. Representing the club was Knox, Justin Lisoway, Domenic Griesser, Justin d’Ailly, Tess Barber, Kaitlyn Lumby, Jada Cotnam, Alycia Weber, Kennedy Loewen, Emilia Hesterman and Megan Deering. “Every single kid that went there did well,” said Stingrays head coach Todd Melton. “Eleven kids got best times, that doesn’t usually happen at that level for that many swimmers.” Knox was the overall aggregate points winner in the competition. In the 200m IM, Knox took gold and teammate Lisoway won silver. Knox added a bronze in 100m freestyle and Lisoway was third in the 100m breaststroke. Deering earned her trials time in the 200m breaststroke, a major breakthrough for the 16-year-old, and re-established her trials time in the 100m breaststroke after doing so at a younger age category. The meet was also the end of a chapter and the beginning of another. Loewen competed in her final age group meet before heading off to Simon Fraser University, where she earned a swim scholarship, in the fall.
