About us

Who we are

Brock Niagara Aquatics is the competitive swimming component of the overall Brock Aquatics program. Offerings include a complete competitive swimming program encompassing approximately 150 Niagara young people. Various squads within the club provide for all interested swimmers—ranging from novice racers to experienced international competitors.

The team has operated out of the Brock University pool since it opened in 1981 and is proud of the tradition of producing swimmers to represent Canada in international competitions while still providing basics for those who have yet to reach that level. Several swimmers who have come through Brock’s Learn-to-Swim program in past years have gone on to National and International swimming success while representing the Brock Niagara team.

Mission statement

BNA flourishes through the provision of opportunities for our athletes and staff to learn, grow, and improve. Although we share a common purpose, we recognize and honour diverse perspectives and approaches. Our mission is to nurture and support our athletes in the discovery of personal and athletic excellence through exemplary leadership and teaching.

Why swim?

  • Swimming develops wonderful cardiovascular endurance, an important key to physical fitness.
  • Swimming is a sport in which its participants really do participate—all swimmers are busy for the entire length of the practice session. Swimmers at different levels of competence all participate fully and equally during practices. No bench-sitting, time-outs, or intermissions.
  • Swimming is one of the best sports in terms of proportional muscular development.
  • Swimming enhances flexibility by exercising all major joints through a wide range of motion.
  • Swimming develops superior coordination by requiring combinations of complex movements of all parts of the body.
  • Swimming is among the most injury-free of all youth sports.
  • Swimming is a sport that will bring children fitness and enjoyment for life… no one will ever be too old to enjoy a swim!

Our History

Since 1981, the team is proud of its record of eleven National Team members, including one Olympic Finalist and two Paralympic Medallists; eight National Youth Team members; two National Records; and six Provincial Records.

New swimmers enter the team each year to begin mastering such skills as racing turns and competitive stroke technique. Low-key competitions are held close to home to allow the novice racer a chance to try new-found skills in a competitive environment. As swimmers gain experience, they are provided opportunities to compete further afield, across Canada and perhaps internationally.

Many Brock Niagara swimmers currently represent or recently competed for various North American university teams including Brock, Carleton, Guelph, Laurentian, McMaster, Ottawa, Queens, Toronto, Waterloo, British Columbia, Calgary, Victoria, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida Gulf Coast, Niagara, Princeton, Virginia, and Yale.

Highlights

While competing for Brock Niagara Aquatics…

  • Our swimmers have won a variety of individual National Championship titles and medals
  • Two swimmers represented Canada at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece
  • One swimmer won three Gold medals—all in World Record times—while representing Canada at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia
  • One swimmer represented Canada at the World Open Water Championships in Hawaii in 2000

Having recently graduated from the Brock Niagara team…

  • One swimmer competed for Canada at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia and the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece
  • Two swimmers competed for Canada at the 2002 Commonwealth Games