A pair of best friends made a big splash during their first synchronized swimming duet performance.
Elora Ray and Darci Brygidyr, both from Bishop Gallagher School, performed their first duet together in front of a live audience at the Thunder Bay Synchro Club Sunday performance. The two 12-year-old-girls dove into the swimming pool at the Canada Games Complex to the tune of one the Beatles greatest hits “Yellow Submarine”.
The girls joined the club to do synchronized swimming, a hybrid of swimming, dance and gymnastics, as a way to meet new people have some fun.
Elora started synchronized swimming about five years ago and said it all began when her dad saw an ad for the club. She said she tried it recreationally but that wasn’t as fun as performing in competitions.
“I went competitive and did my first performance in Winnipeg and I really liked that,” Elora said. “I did it again and then I went into competitions with my best friend Darci. We are best friends so we get along well. It’s been a good time.”
Balancing schoolwork, practicing and other sports can become difficult but in the end, it’s worth it, she said.
Darci said one of the more challenging aspects of the sport is holding her breath. The longest she’s ever held her breath was around two minutes.
She said she has learned exercises to help her stay underwater for longer.
“If you’re doing a figure and it’s really long, you’re holding your breath and you don’t want to let your teammates down so you suck it up,” Darci said. “Swimming is a big part of my life. It’s my favourite thing to do.”
The girls’ coach Gillian Roberts said they push every member of the club hard and the girls usually practice about 10 hours a week. Roberts, a third year student at Lakehead University, swam competitively in London, Ont. before she joined the Thunder Bay club.
Having that southern Ontario knowledge, Roberts said she’s brought a style not normally seen up in the north.
“I feel that I have brought a lot from my experiences and done things they never would have thought of before,” Roberts said. “Synchro Canada gives you standardizations for you to follow but there’s tons of room for creative techniques.”
