03/03/2026
In the past couple of weeks, the Duncan Stingrays hosted two exciting competitions at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre: our Vancouver Island Regional (VIR) Level Up #2 and Orange & Black II 🧡🖤
The VIR Level Up #2 provided a welcoming, low-pressure racing opportunity for swimmers who are newer to the sport, while also allowing developing and experienced athletes to practice race skills in a structured meet setting. We welcomed teams from across Vancouver Island for this meet! While the meet was unfortunately cut short due to a large-scale power outage that required us to evacuate the facility. Beyond strokes and turns, swimming teaches many lessons!This lesson was about adaptability and composure through the occasional “what now?” moment 😁
The Orange & Black II brought the entire club together for our in-house meet, offering swimmers across all groups the opportunity to apply what they’ve been working on in training. For many swimmers, this was their very first competition, an important milestone in their swimming journey! Learning how a meet runs, managing nerves, stepping up to the blocks, and finishing that first race are experiences that build lots of confidence. Everyone should be extremely proud!
One particularly special moment over these meets was getting to see Bruce, a longtime Stingrays coach and our Head Coach from 1984–1996, race. While he’s certainly raced many times before, this was everyone’s first time seeing him step up and compete! It was a powerful reminder that swimming is one of those unique sports you can continue for decades 😁 always challenging yourself, always learning, always improving and always part of the team.
A heartfelt thank you to Bruce for his long-term dedication to the Stingrays and the many generations of swimmers he has impacted! At this meet, you definitely encouraged us all to continually challenge ourselves and to keep stepping outside of our comfort zones.
A huge thank you to all the swimmers, coaches, officials, volunteers, families, and visiting clubs who brought such great energy, sportsmanship, and community spirit! 🧡🖤
