Young swimmer sets records

A Grade 12 student at St. Ann's Academy has made history at the BC School Sports swimming championships, setting three records while taking home four gold medals — the school’s first provincial banner in 20 years.

Catherine McCurrach took home gold medals in the 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle, 50 breaststroke and 50 butterfly. The para swimmer also set provincial records in the 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly and took home the school’s first sports banner since 2004 and the first ever in swimming.

She told Castanet she was proud to represent St. Ann's on the provincial stage.

“You see the basketball teams, the volleyball teams go away and they do very well, and you sort of want to give back to your school, too,” McCurrach said.

“I'm glad I was able to bring home a banner in recognition for my school.”

'A whole new world'

McCurrach has been swimming competitively for six years, but has only been classified as a para swimmer for a little more than a year.

“It just never occurred to me before — I have an invisible impairment," she said. "I have congenital myopathy, which is a very mild muscle weakness, so it's a very close cousin of muscular dystrophy."

As soon as she was classified as a para swimmer, McCurrach said a swath of possibilities were opened to her, which has only added to her competitiveness.

“I was never the strongest swimmer because I have an impairment, I was [competing against] athletes who don’t,” she said.

“As soon as this classification happened, it's just a whole new world, new goals, and I realized, ‘Hey, I can actually go to these big championship meets, I actually have a shot here.’”

She said the classification made her rethink her goals, and she now has her sights set on competing in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

The road to LA

McCurrach is hoping to continue her swimming career at the university level as she continues to forge her path to Los Angeles.

She said it can be challenging to find a program that supports para swimmers, but she’s already received an offer from the University of New Brunswick, where she may attend next fall.

“The coach there, she has coached para swimmers, she gets the difficulties,” McCurrach said.

“She’s like, ‘You know what, if we can take you, just educate people in-person and make it more accessible for para swimmers to train and be students, that would be awesome.’”

McCurrach said she wants to study kinesiology and stay within the sports world when she eventually ages out of competing.

No days off

McCurrach swims twice a week, in addition to workouts, and is taking online athletic courses during her spare blocks so she can train even more during the week, as well.

“Whenever we find time in the day and my schedule, we try and go to the pool during those times — half the weekends I'm away competing,” she said.

She said she also trains with several gymnasts, as well as Kamloops’ own Paralympic shot put champion Greg Stewart.

Up next for McCurrach is an international meet in Toronto, where she’ll be going up against some of the best in the country.

When she attended last year, she got the chance to race against some of her idols, including 10 time Paralympic medal winner Aurélie Rivard.

"It's my obsession, I've always loved it," McCurrach said.

“I think just as long as I have supportive coaches, supportive teammates, and I just continue to prioritize my swimming and all that and putting in the work, then I should be on track."