Kaitlyn Luu, a 15-year-old swimmer from Thunder Bay, has had a phenomenal year so far, and all her hard work, dedication, and sacrifices are paying off. Currently training in Toronto with the Ontario Swim Academy, Luu recently attended the 2023 Speedo Eastern Canadian Championship in Windsor, Ontario, where she shone brightly.
At this prestigious competition, which brings together Canada's top senior and junior swimmers from Eastern Canada, Luu had an extremely strong finish in her 200m fly, winning a gold medal with an impressive personal best time of 2:21.05, ranking her second in the country for her age group. She also won bronze medals in the 100m fly and 400m Individual Medley events. These performances all earned her Canadian junior trials times as well as a senior Canadian trials time in the 200m fly.
Her success at this competition is a culmination of an extremely successful year full of many accomplishments and recognitions.
Kaitlyn's accomplishments this year have been outstanding. She started the year by competing in the FINA Swimming World Cup where she came 12th in her 200m fly and 17th in her 400m IM in an open all ages category with swimmers up to 29 years old from over 40 different countries. She was also one of the 6 female athletes selected to take part in a distance freestyle training camp as part of Swim Ontario's domestic podium development project.
Kaitlyn's achievements have not gone unnoticed, and she has received several awards this season. Swim Ontario recognized Kaitlyn at their 100th year gala where she was selected to receive the Dan Taylor Student Athlete Scholarship, recognizing her combined swimming and academic achievements. Swim Canada then named Kaitlyn as a recipient of the Victor Davis Memorial Fund Award. Recognition with the Victor Davis Award is a significant achievement and a well-deserved honour for Kaitlyn. Victor Davis was a legendary Canadian swimmer who won multiple Olympic medals and set world records during his career. The award, named after him, recognizes the outstanding performance of Canadian swimmers and is a testament to Kaitlyn's talent and hard work.
Kaitlyn's next challenge is the 2023 Bell Canadian Swimming Trials, where she will be formally recognized for the Victor Davis Award. Her determination to succeed and relentless pursuit of excellence make her a role model for aspiring athletes. Kaitlyn's future in swimming looks brighter than ever, and we can't wait to see her dominate the swimming arena in the years to come.
