Region of Waterloo Swim Club

A heartfelt thank you to Bennett Capital, our Gold Sponsor for the Region of Waterloo Swim Club’s 50th Anniversary Gala.

Their support means so much to our club, helping us celebrate our past while continuing to invest in the future of our swimmers.

We’re so grateful to have you as part of the ROW community.

We’re almost there! 💙

Tickets for the Region of Waterloo Swim Club 50th Anniversary Gala are on sale until tomorrow.

While we may be able to accommodate a small number of last-minute guests, we do need to provide final numbers to the venue, so if you’re planning to attend, now is the time to secure your spot.

It’s shaping up to be a really special evening as we celebrate 50 years of memories, reconnect with teammates and coaches, and honour our Hall of Fame inductees.

We’d love to see as many of our current and past ROW families there as possible.

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://forms.gle/Zi8ASVxR8aHuLvd4A

A look back at ROW through the years

From early morning training sessions and team photos to award nights, parades, and unforgettable moments outside the pool, these snapshots capture the spirit that has defined the Region of Waterloo Swim Club for generations.

For 50 years, swimmers, coaches, and families have built something special together. The friendships, the hard work, and the shared memories are what make ROW more than just a swim team.

We can’t wait to celebrate the people and history that shaped our club at the ROW 50th Anniversary Gala on April 25th.

📸 Do you recognize anyone in these photos? Tag them or share your favourite ROW memory below!

🎟️ Gala tickets: https://forms.gle/ZLEjNuZsB3vQRTCP9

ROW Rewind

Not every memory lives in the distant past.

These photos capture moments from the last 20 years of the Region of Waterloo Swim Club, pool deck laughs, team dinners, travel meets, summer training, and friendships that started between the lane ropes.

The teammates beside them in these photos became lifelong friends, training partners, and sometimes even future coaches.

ROW has always been more than just workouts and competitions. It’s the community that forms around early mornings, long meets, and shared goals.

As we celebrate 50 years of ROW, we’re excited to bring together swimmers from every generation, including the athletes who made memories like these.

Do you recognize anyone in these photos? Tag them

Region of Waterloo Swim Club 50th Anniversary Gala
April 25, 2026
Walper Hotel, Kitchener

Tickets available here: https://forms.gle/ysND6ZmQaLjANWxg9

Headlines & History
Before the international stage, there were early mornings, long practices, and years of dedication in our local pools.

This newspaper feature highlights Jessica Tuomela, a Paralympic swimmer who trained in Waterloo as she prepared for the Beijing Paralympic Games. Competing in the S11 classification, Jessica represented Canada in the 50m and 100m freestyle events.

Jessica is also part of the Region of Waterloo Swim Club legacy, having trained and competed with ROW during her swimming career.

We are incredibly proud to recognize Jessica as one of the 2026 Region of Waterloo Swim Club Hall of Fame inductees, celebrating her achievements in the pool and the inspiration she continues to provide to swimmers in our community.

ROW has always been shaped by athletes who pushed boundaries and showed what was possible.

Join us as we celebrate 50 years of Region of Waterloo Swim Club.
50th Anniversary Gala

April 25, 2026
Walper Hotel, Kitchener

Tickets:
https://forms.gle/A1dLM1d1ZsN9tRjZA

Every swimmer remembers a coach who changed something.

The one who stayed late.
The one who believed in you before you believed in yourself.
The one who pushed you harder than you thought possible.
The one who taught you that character matters more than medals.

For 50 years, ROW has been shaped not only by athletes, but by the coaches who stood on deck, stopwatch in hand, pouring into young lives day after day.

Today, we want to recognize the coaches who made an impact.

Tag a former ROW coach who shaped your journey.
Share a memory.
Tell us what they taught you, in the water or beyond it.

Because the legacy of a club isn’t just records and banners.

It’s people. 💙

ROW Rewind - Team Champs 2014

Big team energy. Loud cheering. Lifelong friendships.

These moments are what make ROW more than just a swim club

Were you there in 2014? Tag yourself or drop a memory below

And if ROW has ever been part of your story, we’d love to celebrate together at our 50th Anniversary Gala.

Grab your tickets here: https://forms.gle/R19BPUR3xfcPV7619

HEADLINES & HISTORY

Remember this era?

When swim stories filled the sports pages.

When names like Victor Davis inspired a generation.

When young swimmers across Canada watched, clipped articles, and dreamed a little bigger.

Moments like these shaped the culture of our sport, including right here in Waterloo.

If you were swimming during this time, tell us what you remember

And share this post so we can reconnect more of the ROW family.

Region of Waterloo Swim Club 50th Anniversary Gala

April 25, 2026 | Walper Hotel

Let’s celebrate 50 years of swimming history together.

Digging through the archives for our 50th anniversary and found these

Recognize anyone?

Tag a teammate.
Tag a coach.
Tag someone you shared early mornings, bus rides, and relay nerves with.

For 50 years, ROW has been about more than swimming, it’s been friendships, confidence, memories, and a community that sticks with you long after your last race.

We’d love to see familiar faces at the 50th Anniversary Gala:

April 25, 2026
Walper Hotel
Semi-formal adult evening
Ticket link: https://forms.gle/UWZHc4HKQRZoLTLx6

Once ROW… always ROW

We’d love your help building our 50th Anniversary Gala silent auction

As we get closer to the ROW 50th Anniversary Gala, we’re starting to collect silent auction items, and we’d love some community support.

Ways you can help:
• Approaching local businesses for donations
• Helping create themed baskets
• Sharing connections we might not know about
• Assisting with organizing items closer to the event

FPP points will be available for families who help secure donations or contribute to auction baskets. Every contribution helps support the club’s future initiatives and High Performance Fund.

If you’d like to help (even in a small way), please reach out to [email protected], we truly appreciate it!