Libby Vaughan's ability to swim faster than most of her 13-year-old peers in the Prince George Barracudas Swim Club is no fluke.
She's not just a swimmer, she's an athlete.
Now in her fifth season training with the Barracudas at the Prince George Aquatic Centre where she swims six days a week, Vaughan also knows her way around a volleyball court as part of the Grade 8 girls team at Prince George Secondary School.
She has a passion for basketball. Put a Frisbee in her hand and she excels on the field playing ultimate on days when its warm enough for the Barracudas to take their dryland activities outdoors.
"She's an athlete and she's very good at everything," said Barracudas coach Jason Smith. "Her hand-eye co-ordination is very good and that helps quite a bit in the pool when you're much more aware of your surroundings. She's focused on her swimming skills and focused on trying to improve every practice and she's having fun."
Sports are a way of life for Vaughn and her natural athleticism and ability to co-ordinate her body movements in the pool helped her break into the fast lane with the Barracudas last year when she joined the youth national group under head coach Jerzy Partyka. Vaughan trains with the youth national group three times a week for two-hour sessions and also practices three times a week for 90 minutes at a time with Smith’s elite group swimmers.
Vaughan was in her element two weekends ago representing her club at the Medical Northern Sprint Fall Invitational short-course meet at the Aquatic Centre. She raced in eight events at the Fall Invitational and finished with medals in the 100m backstroke (bronze, 1:11.12), 200 breaststroke (gold, 2:20.25), 200m freestyle relay (gold with Jordan Vertue, Jenna Frie and Sage Forseth), 200 medley relay (silver, with Vertue, Frie and Forseth) and 400m freestyle (silver, 5:01.35).
"The meets are really fun, I love how energetic it is" said Vaughan, 13, while watching clubmates Chloe Vertue and Masha Wood fight duke it out for medals with Sienna Angove of Kamloops in the 13-12-year-old girls 200m freestyle final.
"Before races I get a little nervous and feel a little weird but once you're in the water it's all OK. I like racing and trying to keep up to everybody."
She raced a month ago in Prince Rupert at an invitational meet and all her times were personal bests, which is proof to Vaughan the hard work she puts into it is worth the effort.
"You just to keep pushing yourself and even if you have some setbacks, if you really enjoy it you will go forward," Vaughan said.
Only a few club swimmers 13-14-year-old in her age division can match Vaughan's backstroke efficiency and she's strong in butterfly and freestyle but is not a big fan of the breaststroke. She's getting close to the provincial standard in the 200 IM so she can compete at the provincial championships in Kamloops, March 7-10. She's also trying to nail down a backstroke qualifying time for the Western Canadian championships
Clubmates Wood, the Vertue sisters, Hannah Rodts and Josiah Wilkinson never fail to provide strong competition for Vaughan in practices and sometimes one of the older Barracudas returns for a guest appearance in a training swim.
Vaughan has also practiced with Haley Black, the first professional swimmer ever to come out of the ranks of the Barracudas. Black now lives in New York where she competes with the New York Breakers of the International Swimming League.
Seeing 19-year-old Avery Movold coming back from U.S. college ranks in Akron, Ohio to compete in the Fall Invitational while she prepares to join the University of Calgary swim team was also a source of inspiration for Vaughan.
"That could be me someday, reaching my goals and getting to where I want to be," said Vaughan. "I would like to take it to college and get a scholarship. That would be cool."
Vaughan and the Barracudas will be back racing Dec. 13 at the Ice Classic in Kamloops.
