Mike Kramm swims the breast stroke during the nationals. (Submitted/Battlefords Orcas Swim Club.)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Master Orcas

Master Orcas take bronze, ribbons in 2025 Speedo Masters National Championships May Long Weekend

May 20, 2025 | 5:33 PM

As Cheri Frey prepared to dive into Saskatoon’s Shaw Centre pool in her first-ever swim meet she “almost puked” from nerves.

Frey, a member of the Battlefords Orcas Swim Club, had long been a swim parent and watched her children train and go to meets over the years but had never competed herself.

“I said to my kids, ‘How hard can it really be, I put you guys through it so, I’m going to try it myself’” said the mom of four.

Like a true orca, the moment she chose to make her aquatic debut was at the biggest show of all: Swimming Canada’s 2025 Speedo Masters National Championships held over the long weekend.

“I started right from the basics and actually have been working on it for a year and a half, haven’t attended a competition,” said Frey.

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“When nationals was in our own backyard here in Saskatoon, I’m like ‘That seems like something I would like to be a part of.’”

Four members from the local club’s relatively new masters’ program attended the event which saw nearly 500 swimmers from across international boundaries and between them brought home one bronze, 12 top ten ribbons and personal bests.

Jessica Labman dives in. (Submitted/Battlefords Orcas Swim Club)

While the journey to the nationals’ swim lanes began a year ago, the adults began earlier thanks to the creation of the group designated for swimmers 18 and over.

According to Head Coach, Lyne De Montarnal, she started the masters program to give adults a chance to get in the water and stay regularly active.

“Most of the time, I see people swimming on their own or they’re fighting with public for space,” she said.

“So, this gives that safe…place, that community, that ability for them to have a coach to learn and to move forward, because motion is something that we need to do throughout our entire life.”

The nationals were open so long as a swimmer was registered with a club, they could join in. For Mike Kramm, who took home a bronze, joining the Orcas was a chance to get back into something he did growing up.

“Good workouts, good for my physical health, definitely good for my arthritis,” he said.

During the meet, he swam in multiple heats including freestyle, butterfly and individual medley – the latter of which won him the bronze.

“Definitely a big surprise for me is how nervous I got,” he said, noting he was shocked and pleased he won the bronze.

“You have to kind of balance that adrenaline and anxiousness and keep yourself in check and not go out too hard where you’re too tired to finish your race strong.”

Maria Hoven and Jessica Labman rounded out the quad-pod and although De Montarnal wasn’t able to attend the event due to coaching duties at the Battlefords pool, she said they were able to watch the livestream and seeing her members compete against others from around the world brought her “Joy.”

“I enjoyed seeing the swimmers excel in what they’re doing and just be able to experience something like that,” she said.

All of the Master Orcas have children in the younger swimming programs and De Montarnal said they’re able to show them and their families what they accomplished and that age truly is just a number.

“Hopefully they get to do it again but to have it so close to home is kind of a once in a lifetime type thing and a good way to get them started on it.”

From left: Jessica Labman, Mike Kramm, Maria Hoven, and Cheri Frey show off medals and ribbons. (Submitted/Battlefords Orcas Swim Club)

The nationals also drew competitors as young as 18 and as old as 92 to the starting blocks and Frey called it “inspirational.”

Training for the meet was something that took Frey out of her comfort zone but over the past year and a half, the mom of three swim kids overcame that to put the time needed into her backstroke and freestyle.

“Almost chickened out a couple times but didn’t want to quit on myself,” she said.

“I wanted to show my kids that you can try scary stuff, you can try new stuff and you need to put yourself out there and you need to challenge yourself.”

Of the comradery between competitors, Kramm and Frey agreed, the atmosphere was electric.

“You can fall flat on your face and everybody there would cheer you on,” said Kramm.

“It was really good to see that it didn’t matter who you were swimming for and what club you’re under, it was all about ‘Hey, good job, way to go, you swam hard, that was awesome.’”

Anyone looking to join the club, email: contact battlefordsorcas@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: juleslovett.bsky.social