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Vol.15 No.23
Pelham’s independent news source from the Heart of Niagara
The
VOICE Music in the park! Page 6
Retired teacher paints for pleasure. Page 2
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Stanley Cup raised over Fonthill. Page 8
12-year-old Fonthill swimmer beats odds BY TINA CHIVERS VOICE Staff With a competitive mindset, 12-year-old Josh Allon has his eyes on Olympic gold. The Fonthill boy recently qualified for Age Group Nationals; he is one out of a group of 50 or 60 swimmers to qualify for the prestigious level. Prior to his achieving a qualifying time for Age Group Nationals, Allon also qualified for provincials—he was the only swimmer who qualified. “My goal is to keep going until I make the Olympic trials,” says the 12-year-old, who has his eye on the 2016 games. Allon explained that, every time a swimmer competes in a meet, the athlete’s time is catalogued in the power rankings. The Team Aquatic Supplies Power Rankings is an online tool aimed to keep track of the progress and improve performance of Canadian athletes. Athlete rankings are generated with data compiled in the Swimming Canada database. During a recent swim meet, Allon clocked a time of 2:36 in the 200m fly (successfully beating the standard time of 2:40 to qualify). “I really love winning,” says Allon. “I train so hard because I don’t like to lose; I can get ticked off at myself when I don’t win.” Allon, who trains in the pool six days a week, says he’s been involved in
Josh Allon swims his way to victory. swimming since the age of two. His 13-year-old brother, Boaz, is also a swimmer. Asked what makes him such a good swimmer, Allon says that his exposure to the pool at such an early age, and his serious involvement in the sport have been key factors in his success. “I’ve been in the pool all my life,” he says. “And I train hard.” Allon says that he uses practices to improve his time, and he likes to push his body to the limit when he trains. He says that one of his coaches
/Special to the Voice
tells him to “burn a fuse” whenever he swims. “Burning a fuse means to make sure you’re dead at the end; come out of the water gasping for air,” says Allon. “Sometimes I train so hard, I get sick to my stomach—that’s happened four times.” Even at the tender age of 12, Allon understands the relationship between discipline, diet and his success in the water. “Before a race, I eat carbs for a week,” he says. He remembers a time when he made the mistake of eating a meatball
sandwich before a race, and didn’t fare too well. “I only planned to eat a couple of bites, for protein, but ended up eating too much,” he recalls. Allon says that one of the best things about winning so many races is the bragging rights that come along with his accomplishments. With a huge smile, he says “I like phoning people to tell them I’ve won, and it feels good to wear the medals around my neck”. Another positive aspect of his sport is having the privilege of meeting other
athletes from all over the province. Allon has met swimmers from Japan (who are living in Toronto), and he’s learned that they share a love of Japanese food, and have even eaten at many of the same Toronto restaurants. He says he’s forming good relationships with these athletes, and that he has the opportunity to do so because they see each other often when they compete provincially. Moreover, Allon says that it’s important to always make friends with his competitors and to shake hands. He says that
the group of competitive swimmers share a healthy camaraderie. “My coach says that the goal is to have fun, and to have a good time swimming,” he says, noting that the pressure to succeed in the sport is huge. Allon’s mother, Carol Frick-Allon, says that both of her sons have handled the pressure well, and that she’s very happy with their achievements in the water. “I am amazed anytime I see either one of them in the water,” she says. “It’s an amazing gift.”
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