Penticton para-swimmers set three Canadian records

Two Penticton swim club para-athletes made a big splash on the national front, setting three Canadian records at a recent Kelowna meet.

Jacob Brayshaw, 20, set a pair of new times in the S2 disability 200-metre backstroke (7:45.67) and the 200M breaststroke (8:08.80).

KISU Swim Club teammate Riley Martin, 30, established a new national best in the S5 disability 200M backstroke (4:31.25) breaking the previous time of 4:35.10 set in 2014 by Nicholas Lapointe of the Tyee Swim Club of Victoria.

Since starting competitive swimming last year, Martin has also set the bar with three new Canadian records including the 400M individual medley, which nobody in his disability class had even completed.

“What these swimmers have done is very inspiring to our club,” said KISU head coach Tina Hoeben. “I hope it’s inspiring to other para-people in our community to come out and join the club because that’s something I would like to see.”

Assistant coach Naomi Antler, who works closely with Martin, agreed, “Absolutely, we are trying to promote para-swimming in our club and the whole community.

“The record-setting swims by Jacob and Riley was actually really exciting because it was in the same heat.”

A total of 16 teams (more than 600 swimmers) from Alberta and B.C. took part in the invitational competition.

Both KISU swimmers will be competing in the provincial championships next month and Martin also has his sights set on the 2023 Parapan Games in Santiago, Chile in November.

— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald.