GALLERY: Masters keep joy of swimming alive for adults

For some, it's about reigniting their joy of swimming. For others, it's a chance to continue to compete or stay physically active.

No matter the reason, Joan Gunn-Allard says the Cochrane Master Swimming Club continues to welcome all interested adults to join the club and has done so now for 30 years.

The current Masters session wraps up this week and registration is now open for the spring session that begins on Feb. 21. The club typically boosts a membership of 40 to 50 adult swimmers of all ages and skill levels.

Time slots are available on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday as well as Saturday mornings. Half-hour stroke improvement classes are held twice a week.

Gunn-Allard, one of the club's coaches, encourages people to give it a try.

She says Masters is fortunate to have two other dedicated coaches; head coach Amy Swedlo and Max Krueger.

"Just because you're not a good swimmer shouldn't stop you from coming out and joining us. We have swimmers that could barely swim a length when they started and are now swimming 20 or 30."

Joan rediscovered her passion for swimming quite by accident 13 years ago after dropping off her daughter at the ferry early one morning.

"I thought, I'm up, I've had breakfast, I'm dressed, now what am I going to do?"

READ: Gunn-Allard dedicated master swimmer, Special Olympics coach

On Feb. 3, eight members of the local club participated in the 27th annual meet of the Foothills Masters Swim Club at the Cochrane Aquatic Centre. Among them were three swimmers who hadn't competed at Masters.

"They were really nervous, but once they got that first event out of the way, they just relaxed," she says.

Their families were in the stands cheering them on, with some of their children waving signs like "Go, Mommy, Go!"

Mark Eaton, George Toumishey and Joan Gunn/Allard around one of the signs in the stands supporting Cochrane Masters in the Foothills meet.

Several other club members who didn't compete came out to show their support.

"It was a really friendly crowd," she says, "and it was so awesome to see other teams here cheering on each other. It's always great to have the support."

To learn more about the Cochrane Masters Swim Club or to register, click here.

READ: GALLERY: Several master swimmers compete in their first meet