Swimming: Canterbury swimmers battle on despite quakes

Christchurch swimmers (from left) Cassie Wright, Sophie Pascoe and Emily Rennell at the Otago-Canterbury swimming championships. Photo by Linda Robertson.

The earthquakes tested the perseverance of Canterbury swimmers and the less dedicated dropped out of the sport.

But swimmers competing in the combined Otago and Canterbury championships at Moana Pool this week have displayed an inner strength that has helped them to overcome the obstacles.

Cassie Wright (13) was living in the suburb of Richmond when the first earthquake struck on September 2010.

"Our house was red stickered then but we didn't know about it then until after the February quake when our house became totally unlivable," she said.

Life changed for Wright and her family.

"We moved in with Nana at Papanui and at the end of last year we moved into a new house at Harewood," she said.

The earthquakes have also affected her swimming because her QE2 club has shifted its training base from the wrecked 50m pool at QE2 to train with the Jasi club at Jellie Park.

"It was hard to get used to," she said. "But I find swimming is a good way to take my mind off the earthquakes."

She passed her first big test at the New Zealand short course age group championships last year when she won the 50m breaststroke and collected three bronze medals.

Paralympian Sophie Pascoe (19) still lives in the family home at Halswell despite some interior and exterior damage.

Pascoe is used to overcoming problems. She lost her lower left leg in a lawnmower accident when she was 2.

Her preparations for the Paralympics in London suffered a setback when the QE2 pool was wrecked.

"It was my second home for 11 years," she said. "It is a bit frustrating but it just means I have to travel more to get the 50m pool experience outside Christchurch.

"My ultimate goal is London and I can't let an earthquake hold me back."

She won three gold medals in Beijing in 2008 and broke the world record in the 100m backstroke with 1min 10.57sec.

Pascoe now holds world records in the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

Emily Rennell (13), who still lives in the same house, is a member of the Jasi club that shares its pool space with the QE2 club.

"The QE2 kids come to train at the same place as us," she said.

"It makes it more difficult but we are coping."

Jasi coach Peter Burgon explained sharing his club's swimming pool space with the QE2 club.

"QE2 uses four lanes and we use the other four," he said. "We have to co-exist in the same pool.

"It's a big reduction in space and it has affected numbers in the programmes of the two clubs."