MILTON, N.S. – The Milton Dambusters is calling for you if you love to swim and are between the ages of five and 18.
Now in operation for more than 51 years, the Milton Dambusters meets daily on weekdays with scheduled meets on the weekends. Swimmers are required to attend at least three practices a week and one scheduled meet, says Ashley Saulnier. Although they usually want to attend all five, she adds.
Saulnier, who was first involved with the organization in the nineties as a swimmer on the team herself, is now back as the team’s president. When she moved back to the area a few years ago, she signed her oldest son Houston, who is now 10, up for the team. She also intends on signing up her daughter Fallon next season.
“We have had our fair share of all-star and medal winners in the past,” says Saulnier.
Jack Stephenson won a medal in 2016; he was second to last in his heat. Naomi Blackidar won the team’s first gold medal in more than a decade, as well as being the first female to win a medal in over a decade. Naomi also made the all-star team in 2017. Caleb Anthony went from no top-10 finishes to all top-10 finishes in 2017. Alexis Aullenback went from participation to provincially ranked top 10 in her first-year swimming in 2017. The boys’ 11-12 relay team win brought home bronze in 2016, and that was the first relay medal in more than a decade.
And those are just the successes in the past few years!
“The swimmers we have coming up through are going to be faster than ever,” says Saulnier. “The kids love setting new records and goals.”
Besides a stellar lineup of swimmers, Saulnier says Dambusters’ head coach of nine years, Graham Muise, is a local from Milton, and is outstanding with the kids. Muise also swam for the Dambusters team for 10 years.
“Graham has won medals and set records,” says Saulnier. “He also coached the Sackville swim club for four years and swam two years varsity for Mount Allison University.”
Registration for the Milton Dambusters is still open. Anyone with children ranging from five to 18 can be signed up through Holly Aullenback at [email protected].
More information: http://sqms.ednet.ns.ca/node/685
