The Collingwood Clippers welcomed almost 500 swimmers from across Ontario to the Centennial Aquatic Centre for their 29th invitational meet, and used the opportunity to break in the new starting blocks installed in March.
The event included competitive swimming races and fun events like the cardboard boat race, the lip sync contest and a 50-metre freestyle eliminator with cash prizes.
The Collingwood Clippers won the cardboard boat race this year, and the Orangeville Otters won the lip sync with a Beach Boys-themed mash-up.
The Clippers have a membership of more than 195 swimmers ranging in age from six to 18 years old. This year, two swimmers competed at the Olympic trial level, 10 swimmers qualified for provincials and four qualified for nationals.
The starting blocks were paid for thanks to a months-long $62,000 fundraising and sponsorship campaign by the Clippers. They were installed in March and the team used their invitational meet as a backdrop for the ribbon cutting, which included members of town council. The blocks will be used by other swim teams including the Georgian Bay Squall Masters and Special Olympics.
The Clippers have three upcoming try-out dates at Centennial Aquatic Centre, for more information, visit collingwoodclippers.ca.
