Editor, The News:
I am the future of Maple Ridge.
For those of you who don’t already know who I am, my name is Julia Rosec. I am 19 years old and have lived in Maple Ridge my whole life.
I am currently attending the University of the Fraser Valley, where I plan to receive my Bachelors of Kinesiology with a proposed graduation date of June 2020.
I have been a part of the Haney Neptunes and Haney Seahorses for just shy of a decade, and right now hold coaching positions with both clubs. I have my NCCP Level 1 Certification, and my NLS. I have worked at the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre as a paid swim coach since May of 2011.
I am the future of Maple Ridge.
I take pride in the job I do, and never take a lesson I learn for granted. With the amazing ups my job comes with, it can be followed with downs that may crush you at times.
I do not swim coach because it is “easy.” In fact, my job is quite difficult. To be empathetic towards humans of all ages, genders, races and cultures comes easier to me than most.
My love for helping people thrive in and out of the pool is the reason I go back every single day. It is the reason I volunteer my time every weekday morning in the month of July. It is the reason I go to bed at 8 p.m. and wake up at 5 a.m. most days.
This job is exhausting, this job is hard, this job requires problem solving skills that I sometimes have to think on for a while. This job has taught me to never give up. I teach these kids every day that no matter how challenging life can be, the best thing to do is put your head down and work on the goal in mind.
I am the future of Maple Ridge.
When I was in the eleventh grade, while studying Macbeth, my English teacher announced to the class what classified women as witches during the Shakespearean Era, but first had told our class that we had two witches of our own.
I was one of those witches.
To be a witch, you must have to embrace two qualities: an opinion; a will to voice said opinion.
I have never been so proud to be called a witch in my life, and to this day still carry that title with pride.
I am the future of Maple Ridge.
I will not sit back and let people believe that Maple Ridge is not ready for a spectacular aquatic centre. We have established we are a growing community, but why limit such an amazing sport, and lifeskill?
If we put in the money to build an eight-lane, 50-metre pool, with proper diving boards and platforms, we could potentially earn that money back. We would be able to host swim clubs, plus public in a 50 m pool at one time.
Within Diving Canada, we would be able to host a high performance team, Fraser Valley Diving, as well as host high level competitions.
Within Synchronized Swimming of Canada we would be able to host many competitions along with supplying adequate pool space for the Haney Neptunes Aquatic Club, and potentially the high performance team, the Aquasonics.
Within Water Polo Canada we would be able to host Western National Championships, National Club Championships, and have the opportunity to even partner with one of the high performance teams within B.C., Fraser Valley Water Polo Club, or Pacific Storm Water Polo, so they can have enough pool time and space.
Within the British Columbia Summer Swimming Association, we would be able to host regional and provincial championships for water polo, synchronized swimming, diving and speed swimming without having to find another location.
Within the Swim B.C. community, we would be able to host LMR championships, both short-course and long-course.
We would also be able to host the B.C. Summer Games within our own community (which is important, because let me tell you, as a participant at the 2012 B.C. Summer Games for swimming, I would not have appreciated waking up earlier to drive to another city for a 6:30 a.m. warm up).
Within the Swim Canada community, we would be able to host Age Group National Championships, Western National Championships, Senior National Championships, Olympic Trials, and many more events.
These things would bring so much tourism to Maple Ridge, and in the long run, have the pool pay for itself.
These are just examples of what could create an amazing Maple Ridge.
But then again, who am I to know?
I am only the future of Maple Ridge.
Julia Rosec
Maple Ridge