World Championships will be all about the experience for Aurora Master Ducks, the largest team coming out of Masters Swimming Canada at the upcoming FINA World Masters championships in Stanford, August 3-7.

Still, the meet is not about how the swimmers will place, says head coach Nancy Black.

Instead, she tries to create an image for her swimmers where they are diving off the starting blocks in the Avery Aquatic Centre, this “beautiful facility. It’s such an opportunity not to miss.”

It’s the first time Ducks have traveled as such a large group to World Championships.

Ducks are sending 31 swimmers (or 30% of their entire club), coach Black and trainer Hillary Richardson from Aurora. As well 4 swimmers from the newly minted Gloucester Ducks, from Ottawa, will compete at Worlds. That team is comprised of some of Aurora coach Nancy Black’s former teammates from her age group swimming days in Ottawa.

“They haven’t swum in years,” she says. Black is shepherding the sister or branch club in Gloucester, writing their team entries. They are gathering as much “just to have a homecoming,” as anything, she adds.

Black competed at the worlds in 1994 in Montreal and again in Sheffield, England in 1996 (She was pregnant then).

The team had planned to compete at Worlds in …in 2002. Yet because of September 11, 2001, “We were afraid to travel,” but this time it makes sense to go to Worlds, she says.

Motivation over the long swimming season has not been a problem, she says.

“Some are scared. They know they’re going. Their motivation comes from being scared.”

As well, swimmers eliminated reasons for not going: such as money, time off work and family. If those are stopping swimmers from competing, then “you’d better have a damn good reason why you can’t,” Black laughs. “That does work.”

Ducks are emphasizing the trip to Worlds about going to California where there are so many Masters swimmers, in the largest pool in the U.S, which is also the country with the most Masters swimmers in the world, she says.

“They’re all about the whole meet. Most of our Masters are going for the experience.”

All her swimmers are “typical” Masters swimmers. “I looked at them all. There are so many unique people. We always are a team. We race as a team.”

Aurora Master Ducks will host other swimmers, including Team Ontario Masters Swimming at a dinner on August 5 in Stanford. As well, Aurora will spend an extra day touring the nearby San Francisco region.

Aurora Ducks were recently awarded their town’s civic prize in the Best Team division for their work fund-raising and promoting fitness in Aurora.

For more info on the 2005 National champions, see www.masterducks.ca

For more information on the FINA Worlds, see www.2006finamasters.org/v2/