20 Questions with Taylor Padington

Photo credit: www.deannamccollum.com

Club: Island Swimming/National Green
Coach: Aaron Dahl
Age: 17
Height: 5"8
Best Event: 200, 800 freesytle

1)At what age did you start swimming?
I started swimming when I was 5

2)What was your favorite stroke or event as a 12 & under swimmer?
Freestyle has always been my favorite stroke

3)What is your very first memorable swimming moment?
At Commonwealth Games Trials in 2010, I had to opportunity to be on the 4 x 200 freestyle relay. Being able to swim with some of Canada’s best swimmers (Alexa and Julia) was so amazing especially since it was my first Nationals. We ended up coming second, and standing up on the podium made me realize one day soon I would like to be able to stand at the top.

4)Who is the person you think helped you most along the way?
My mom has definitely been there the most for me. When I decided to move away from home a few years ago to come to Victoria, she was very supportive of my decision, and I know I can always call her if I am having a rough day.

5)Who is your favorite athlete?
My favorite athletes are the very fast and talented Olympians I get the chance to train with each day. Ryan, Julia, Alexa, just to name a few.

6)What would you be doing if you weren’t a competitive swimmer?
I would still be living in Campbell River with my family going to school.

7)What keeps you motivated to train hard each day?
I have high goals and expectations for myself, and I know if I want to reach those goals,I am going to have to stay focused and remember that each day is a chance to better myself.

8)How do you push yourself during a hard workout when you are tired or sore?
I keep in mind that even though I am tired and sore, so are my other competitors. If I want to be the best I have to be able to train through the pain and keep my goals in mind.

9)What is the secret to balancing school and training?
The secret is sleep and lots of it. I make sure I am in bed by 9 every night so that way I can have a good morning practice and am not tired when I have to go to school after.

10)What is your favourite activity outside of sport?
I really enjoy just sitting out in the sun (when there actually is some in Victoria) and reading a good book. I also love to go camping with my friends and family.

11)What is your favorite post-workout snack?
Chocolate milk!

12)Who is your favourite band/singer?
I love Drake and Taylor Swift

13)What is your favourite TV show , movie or both?
Glee and Harry Potter

14)How do you prepare yourself mentally for a race?
I try and remind myself about all the hard work that I have done in practice to prepare myself for this moment and that all I need to do now is race and everything else will take care of itself.

15)Do you have any pre-race rituals?
I go up behind the blocks very early, not to talk to anyone, just to stretch out. I also go over how I want my race to go in my head right before I start my race.

16)Do you have a favourite pre-meet meal?
My favourite is Chicken and Caesar salad the first night before a big meet.

17)What do you feel is your Career highlight so far?
Coming 2nd in the 4 x 200 free relay at Summer Nationals in 2010 and coming 8th at Summer Nationals in 2011

18)What are your goals for the future in the sport of swimming?
I would like to make the junior national team this year and also make a national team within the next few years

19)What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I am an absolute Harry Potter fanatic! And I love to bake, although most people probably know that.

20)What advice do you wish someone had given you as a young age group swimmer?
I still am an age group swimmer, but some advice I wish someone had given me when I was younger is that you can have a bad race, a bad day or a bad meet, but remember to always stay positive and know that all the hard work you have done previously will pay off.

If you have any other questions for Taylor, please post them under comments and we will get her to answer them for you.

20 Questions with Alec Page

Photo credit: www.deannamccollum.com

Club: Island Swimming/National Green
Coach: Aaron Dahl
Age: 18
Height: 5'11
Best Event: 400 Individual Medley

• Graduated from Claremont Secondary School
• Won the Victor Davis Award in 2009
• Won 4 Gold Medals at the 2009 North American Challenge Cup
• Broke 30 yr old Canadian Record in the 400m IM for 15-17 yr old boys

1) At what age did you start swimming?
I started swimming at 10 years old.

2) What was your favorite stroke or event as a 12 & under swimmer?
My favourite stroke was Freestyle. My favourite event was the 200 freestyle.

3) What is your very first memorable swimming moment?
My very first memorable swimming moment was my very first swim practice. I started the practice without knowing anything about flip turns, technique, or how to swim butterfly.

4) Who is the person you think helped you most along the way?
The people who have helped me out most along the way have definitely been my parents. Without them getting up at 5am to drive me to practice or supporting me through tough times I wouldn’t be where I am today.

5) Who is your favorite athlete?
Ian Thorpe, Brittany Maclean, Alexandre Bilodeau, Brian Johns

6) What would you be doing if you weren’t a competitive swimmer?
If I wasn’t a competitive swimmer I would definitely be playing other sports. I can’t see myself ever not playing sports.

7) What keeps you motivated to train hard each day?
I am motivated by goals I have set for myself. The goal that keeps me going is to make the Olympic team.

8) How do you push yourself during a hard workout when you are tired or sore?
I tell myself that being sore and tired right now is only one step, and in the long run it will all be worth it.

9) What is the secret to balancing school and training?
Setting your priorities and managing your time wisely.

10) What is your favourite activity outside of sport?
My favourite activity outside of sport without a doubt is sleeping.

11) What is your favourite post-workout snack?
My favourite post-workout snack is a big bottle of water and a protein bar, or some fruit.

12) Who is your favourite band/singer?
My favourite band is Pearl Jam.

13) What is your favourite TV show , movie or both?
My favourite movie is Transformers 3, and my favourite TV show is Criminal Minds.

14) How do you prepare yourself mentally for a race?
Before a race I prepare mentally by listening to songs that motivate me and telling myself, “Live in the moment” because you can only control what is happening right now.

15) Do you have any pre-race rituals?
My only ritual is when I step onto the blocks, I hit the bocks twice, clap my hands twice. Then I shake my arms out, finally my legs out and take a deep breath, then tell myself “Here I am”.

16) Do you have a favourite pre-meet meal?
My favourite pre-meet meal is a bowl of soup, a big sandwich, a tall glass of chocolate milk, and some honey-dew melon.

17) What do you feel is your Career highlight so far?
Winning a gold medal at the World Junior Championships on the 4x200 meter freestyle relay.

18) What are your goals for the future in the sport of swimming?
My future goals are to; make the Olympic team, break a Canadian record, and win a medal for Canada at the international level.

19) What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I am very bad at memorization.

20) What advice do you wish someone had given you as a young age group swimmer?
Be confident in what you have done and what you can accomplish. Most importantly stay confident in yourself.

If you have any other questions for Alec, please post them under comments and we will get him to answer them for you.

20 Questions with Alexa Komarnycky

Photo credit: www.deannamccollum.com

Club: Island Swimming/Victoria Academy of Swimming
Coach: Randy Bennett
Age: 22
Height: 5'11
Best Event: 400 Individual Medley & 400 Freestyle

• 2008 Olympian
• finalist at 2010 Commonwealth Games
• finalist at 2010 Pac Pacific Championships
• She is a very talented volleyball player but decided on competitive swimming
• you can follow her on twitter @AlexaSwim5 or facebook Alexa Komarnycky

1) At what age did you start swimming?
I started with public swimming lessons at the Etobicoke Olympium at the age of 4, I joined Etobicoke’s introduction to competitive swimming in Sept of 1995.

2) What was your favorite stroke or event as a 12 & under swimmer?
200 backstroke

3) What is your very first memorable swimming moment?
Being to afraid to dive in for my race during a competition as an intro swimmer, and my grandfather coming on deck to give me a magic donut from Tim Horton’s. IT WORKED!

4) Who is the person you think helped you most along the way?
The best mom in the world!!!

5) Who is your favorite athlete?
Ryan Cochrane

6) What would you be doing if you weren’t a competitive swimmer?
A runway model - the clothes, the make-up, the jewelry , and think I would be good at showing it off!

7) What keeps you motivated day to train hard each day?
The pot of gold at the end of my rainbow.

8) How do you push yourself during a hard workout when you are tired or sore?
Just knowing my competition around the world is working just as hard as I am, makes me want to work even harder and tougher.

9) What is the secret to balancing school and training?
My Secret is swimming now, school later.

10) What is your favourite activity outside of sport?
I like to do outdoor activities. I like communing with nature. Watching sunsets with a latte, hiking with the dog.

11) What is your favourite post-workout snack?
I’m a Tim Horton’s girl; Toasted bagel with cream cheese and chocolate chip muffin. YUMMY.

12) Who is your favourite band/singer?
AVICII IS THE BEST DJ IN THE WORLD.
And Aqua (shh don’t tell anyone!)

13) What is your favourite TV show , movie or both?
TV - Desperate housewives, and really bad reality tv.
MOVIE - NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY

14) How do you prepare yourself mentally for a race?
I listen to my favourite song on repeat in the ready room.
In my head I replay the strategy that Randy and I have come up with for the race.

15) Do you have any pre-race rituals?
If I can, I’ll get a manicure before the meet, if not, I always travel with at least 10 colours with me so that I can paint my nails in bright colours, because if you know me, you know I love anything bright!

16) Do you have a favourite pre-meet meal?
I lose my appetite before a meet, so I just focus on making sure I get the right combination of proteins and carbs for my body type.

17) What do you feel is your Career highlight so far?
Swimming a 4:38 in the 400 IM, which is a best time at worlds this past summer, and just missing the top 8 finals by less then half a second.

18) What are your goals for the future in the sport of swimming?
Gold medal at the Olympics, is there any other goal?

19) What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I really like cats and I can play Guitar Hero on "Expert".

20) What advice do you wish someone had given you as a young age group swimmer?
The opportunity to see the world and make friends because of swimming, more than makes up for what you think you may be missing outside of swimming or with non-swimming friends.

If you have any other questions for Alexa, please post them under comments and we will get her to answer them for you.