Pointe-Claire Aquatic Centre holds the AQUAM provincial championships

More than 350 athletes from 13 to 16 years of age will be competing this weekend at the provincial swimming championships in Pointe-Claire.

60 of those competing hail from the well-known local  swim club.

The City of Pointe-Claire, hosts the summer AQUAM AAA provincial championships, which will take place from July 7th to the 9th at the Pointe-Claire Aquatic Centre.

Over the course of three days, the young athletes will compete individually or in relay teams, in various swimming strokes and distances.

The Fédération de natation du Québec in collaboration with the Pointe-Claire Aquatic Club have organized the provincial age group swimming championship.

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Preliminary heats will be held from Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the centre is free.

“This is just pure work — you swim back and forth for two-hours straight. You swim thousands and thousands of metres per month — it’s not going to be easy,” swimming coach Felix Gosselin said.

Gosselin trains 13- to 14-years-olds. Samantha Nicholson-Jodoin is one of his swimmers. Jodoin, 14, did her best time Thursday and she already understands that mental fitness is as crucial to her success as is physical fitness.

“When I get to the pool I’ll go through the race in my head and say, ‘I need to get this time’ and go through the full race and say, ‘if I try my best I’ll get there,'” Jodoin said.

READ MORE: Provincial swim meet makes a splash in Penticton

Jodoin is part of a group of successful swimmers coming out of the Pointe Claire swim club.

The club has dominated competitive Canadian swimming since 1965. Swimmers that train here have gone on to high-level success — including the Olympic games.

A fact not lost on the young competitors like 16-year-old Charles Milette.

“We train 24 hours a week here. We always see those people and they are a huge source of inspiration that we can maybe one day be like them,” Milette said.

Milette’s coach, Phil Garverick, who comes from the U.S., says the history of the club is an extra source of motivation.

“It’s a privilege to put on red and blue and follow in the footsteps of great athletes and great coaches,” Garverick said.

The competition will continue through the weekend and some of these simmers will the go to compete on a national stage.