When the Prince Albert Pikes Synchronized Swimming Club takes to the water later this year, they will do so with a new voice giving them pointers.
Katherine Johnson, who was a competitive swimmer and a coach in Winnipeg for a number of years, will be the new head coach for the club for the upcoming season.
“I’m super excited about coming to Prince Albert,” Johnson said. “I’ve been living in Yellowknife for the last five years so I haven’t been able to be involved in the synchro community, so it’s good to get back into it.
“The club in Prince Albert is one that’s very respected for how much they’ve grown in the short amount of time they’ve been in operation. I’m looking forward to be a part of it.”
Johnson was a competitive swimmer for ten years and served as the captain for Manitoba’s provincial team, where she had a chance to train under the coaches for the United States junior national team and Canada’s national ‘B’ team.
“To be able to train with them was a really great experience as an athlete and it allowed me to grow quite a lot as I moved into coaching,” Johnson said.
“I would describe myself as a tough but fair coach, but I like to have fun. There are goals that everyone likes to set in each practice and for each season, and it’s always exciting for me to see how far we’ve come at the end of the year.”
According to Pikes President Leah Liedtke, the addition of Johnson should allow the club to progress even further up the ranks.
“She’s got experience competing and coaching at the nationals, plus she’s judged at events in the past, so it’s a huge deal to have her join our club,” Liedtke said.
“She’ll be giving the girls on our competitive team and the masters team new techniques and tips, plus with her knowledge of what the judges are looking for, we should able to move up the ranks a little bit.”
Registration for the upcoming season will take place at Marion Aquatics Centre on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. for swimmers seven years of age or older.
Those looking for more information on the Pikes can contact the club via email at papikes@hotmail.com.
