In addition to medals and ribbons for swimming, MSC also took the opportunity at the Canadian Championship, May 19-22 in Calgary, to honour swimmers for their work behind the scenes in support of Masters Swimming and aquatics around the world.

Cay Kerr was honoured with the Hud Steward Award

Hud Stewart Award: Catherine (Cay) Kerr's greatest gift to Masters swimming is her passion, says Paul Boulding of Manitoba, who nominated Mrs. Kerr. And for that love of the sport, as well as her tenacity to compete and win, Masters Swimming Canada honoured Mrs. Kerr with the 2006 Hud Stewart Award. This National Award recognizes a Masters swimmer for his or her outstanding contribution to MSC.

Catherine Kerr was the founder and coach of the Winnipeg Swim Club and the Winnipeg Masters Swim Club in the early 1970s. She has sat on the Board of Masters Swimming Manitoba board for over 25 years. She has organized the Pentathlon swim meet for more than 15 years. Through her achievements in the pool and constantly striving for new records, she has been a leader and an inspiration to Masters swimmers.

Cay Kerr where she likes to be: in the water

Cay Kerr, 85, of Winnipeg, Manitoba has contributed to more than just Masters swimming. She began swimming as a 10 year old and raced at the qualifying meet for the 1950 British Empire Games, the forerunner of the Commonwealth Games. In Synchronized Swimming, she held 17 provincial titles and was the founding president of the Winnipeg Synchronized Swimming Club and the Manitoba Section of the Canadian Amateur Synchronized Swimming Association. She was inducted into the Canadian Swimming Hall of Fame in 2000. She has also played water polo and been involved in lifesaving. For Cay Kerr, there are so many different ways to move in the water.

Winnipeg's Sherbrook Pool is her second home. "We all have our favourite spots to go to. It serves me well," she says of the 25 yard pool.

Mrs. Kerr and her husband Donald have six children, 16 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. They have been married since 1943.

Catherine Kerr will be featured in the next issue of WAVES Magazine.

President's Award: Ed Evelly of St John's, Newfoundland, left, received the President's Award from MSC President Christopher Smith (right), for his years working with Swim Canada and FINA to rewrite the rule book for Masters. Other winners include David Ellis of Edmonton Masters, who served as MSC webmaster for many years, and Alexandra Mirkovic of Calgary Masters, who also serves as a MSC translator.

Norm and Olenka McKee, and Lindsay Patten with their Trillium Awards

Trillium Awards: MSC President Chris Smith also honoured the work of Norm and Olenka McKee of Brockville, ON, and Lindsay Patten, of Moncton, NB for their daily efforts to keep MSC running.

Norm McKee is the director of operations. Olenka McKee has worked behind the scenes keeping things like the Million Metre Challenge awards up to date.

Patten took over the MSC website, built up the backend infrastructure and added interactive features like the Million Metre Challenge, making it what President Smith called the envy of many organizations around the world.

• Nationals Results
• Nationals Coverage Part I