Friday, July 21, 2017 5Brooklin Town Crier Meet Brooklin's Two Canada Summer Games Athletes Ethan Placek The only Durham region swimmer representing Ontario at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg will be Brooklin's Ethan Placek. A grade 11 student in the fall at Brooklin High School, Placek earned his spot by being the province's top swimmer recently in the 100 m freestyle. In order to be invited, athletes had to be the best in one event. A member of the Whitby Dolphins swim club under head coach Olivier Renaud, Placek will compete in the u16 category in seven events, the maximum allowed by the Games, though the 100 and 200 m freestyle races are certainly his best chances for medals. Is he excited about the prospect of swimming against Canada's best? "Super excited," he says. "This is the 50th anniversary of the Games so it's certainly one of the more important ones. It's a big deal." However, it won't be his first time competing at the national level. At last year's Canadian Junior Nationals in Calgary, Placek captured three gold and two silver medals, which bodes well for the Winnipeg event. It was private swim lessons as a child that brought him into the sport. He'd been playing hockey and lacrosse but, by around age 11, it became clear his prowess in the pool stood him apart from his peers so he channelled everything into swimming. This includes a gruelling year round training regimen of about 24 hours per week of which about 21 are in the pool with the remainder doing dryland work. His nine weekly workouts include 5:15-7:30 morning sessions before heading to school while afternoon sessions are from about 3:30-6:30 pm. He's headed to the junior nationals again this week before the staging camp at Toronto's Pan Am Olympic Centre in Scarborough Aug. 2-5. Then it's off to Winnipeg and the swim competition Aug. 7-12. The Ontario team's coach is former swim marathoner Vicki Keith. "A lot of Olympians started by going to the Summer Games," he says. "So this is definitely one of my first steps to my goal of being in the Olympics." Liam Mulcahy What started as a love for short track speed skating with cycling as part of his training has morphed into Liam Mulcahy's passion for mountain biking. It will take the Durham College/UOIT marketing student to the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg to compete as part of Team Ontario in three events. The Summer Games, where all athletes are under 23 years of age, will give the 19 year old (turning 20 in August) a chance to compete against Canada's best, a bit of a break from the Canada Cup and nationals which are open to all ages. "I think I have a good chance," he says after a one hour training jaunt. "There'll be a lot of strong young guys so I know it'll be a fight no matter what. It will be super competitive." Mulcahy, racing for the Progressive Sport p/b3Rox/Maverix team, is one of six Ontarians in the mountain bike event on a course he actually tried out a year ago. "It's a real good course," he says. "It's man-made and looks like it was built on just about the only hill in Manitoba. It's very technical but has good straightaways for racers to display their power." His summer is packed with races and training. He left this week for the nationals in Canmore, Alberta, and was going from there to Winnipeg. This after another weekly training block of about 20 hours on the bike and 4-6 hours of dryland. He sees the Games as a unique opportunity, somewhat different from competing in the nationals which he's done before. As to the future, once he's completed his schooling, a shot at professional biking might be possible, though it would likely be more feasible in Europe. All this because he cross-trained on a bike and was just getting too tall for speed skating. With positive results in high school at a Mont Tremblant event, Mulcahy chose to make mountain biking his sport. Liam racing at the June 17 Hardwood Canada Cup in Orillia. The cover photo shows Liam (#4) leading the pack at the Ontario Cup in Uxbridge. Ethan practices his start at a recent training session in Whitby. or show off my pipes for karaoke night, a good time is had by all. In a sense, you can feel the love of community in that place, along with the spirits of those who gave their lives with dignity in two World Wars. Library help During hard times in my life, I had to make use of public wi-fi and the computers at Brooklin Library. An entire novel was written there, and the staff embraced me and supported the process, whether it was help needed with the printer or just offering a smile to make my day brighter. This sense of collective community extends to the members of Brooklin United Church who offered a helping hand at the food bank when my daughter and I needed nourishment. Gratitude spills over from my cup as I savor dear memories and revel in all the glory that makes up this storybook town. To be Canadian, and to be Brooklin born and raised, is a double blessing. But nothing speaks Brooklin pride more loudly than the Annual Brooklin Spring Fair. Case in point: our people have spent 106 years preserving this gem. From the intoxicating sights and smells of the food vendors, to the thrilling roar and boom of the demolition derby, there is something for everyone, young and old. One famous story hails from 1998 when a newcomer bought a house on St. Thomas Street, then started a petition to get the Brooklin Spring Fair shut down due to "noise." Well, the folklore states that a group of teenage boys showed up on her doorstep to confront her. The saga ended when she promptly sold her house and left town. Years may come and years may go, but there truly seems to be "no place like home," and I believe every Brooklin resident would agree. In closing, I'll take this time to extend my gratitude for being born a Canuck. There is no question that our hearts swell with pride over glorious memories shared in this town. O Canada, you are one spectacular place. With a beaming Brook- linite smile, we salute you. (continued from page 3)