Middlesex Swimming is celebrating its 10th swim season! The club was established in October 2007 with only seven swimmers at one pool location. By 2010, the club had started a Masters team and began offering programs in London. It expanded again in 2011, adding swim programs in St. Marys and Stratford.
In 2015, Middlesex Swimming launched its water polo program, in doing so creating one of the only swim/water polo combined clubs in Canada. And in the fall of 2016, the club began its own co-ed Masters water polo program for beginners.
Today, Middlesex Swimming boasts more than 250 members at seven locations, the club has a top-rated age group swim and water polo program, and features the number one Masters swim team in Southwestern Ontario!
Coach Hewerdine
Leading the charge at Middlesex Swimming is head coach Johnny Hewerdine, a born and raised Londoner who began his own swim career at five years of age. He enjoyed a long and successful 17-year career in competitive swimming, competing not just locally and provincially, but also on the national and international stage.
Hewerdine was a multiple Ontario champion and provincial record holder, and was both a member of Western University’s varsity swimming team and water polo squad. For the last 13 years, Hewerdine has competed as a Masters athlete in both swimming and water polo. Impressively, in 2006 he was ranked #1 in the world in his Masters age group for the 1500m freestyle event.
As a coach, Hewerdine now boasts 13 years of experience poolside. After coaching for a few local clubs, including Southwestern Aquatics and the Speed Shark Swim Team, Hewerdine decided to start his own program. Thus, Middlesex Swimming was born. Not wanting to leave London, he figured starting a swim program was the obvious solution to stay in the city he loved.
Today, Hewerdine oversees a staff of knowledgeable and passionate Middlesex coaches that continually help the club’s athletes reach their goals. In addition to his duties at Middlesex Swimming, he is also on the coaching staff of Western’s water polo team.
The Middlesex Program
The main focus of Middlesex Swimming is to help our athletes fall in love with swimming/water polo and become active for life in the pool. We have designed a specialized, step-by-step program for our parents and athletes to follow. This program helps our athletes stay active for life and reach their performance goals.
With swimming and water polo under one umbrella, our members become multi-sport athletes. Our swim/water polo multi-sport athletes are the happiest and healthiest (mentally and physically) on the team. The program has a streamlined system where athletes can compete as an age grouper, play water polo as a varsity athlete, and then continue as a Masters member for life. Our Masters athletes are successful professionals, looking to reach their fitness goals in a positive environment. Masters co-ed water polo for beginners is a great alternative for fun and fitness.
All abilities are welcome!
The 2016-2017 Swim Season
Middlesex will begin its regular season on September 19 and run until the end of June. The summer program runs from July to the end of August. Registration and schedules can be found at www.middlesexswimming.ca. Or for more info, email: info@middlesexswimming.ca.
www.middlesexswimming.ca
Submitted by Middlesex Swimming
