Submitted by: Manager for the Regional Training Centre Synchronize Swimming in Ontario Kristin McCoy
MNO citizen Maura McLean. Click here
for larger picture.On September 18, 2017, Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) citizen and synchronized swimmer Maura McLean was awarded the Petro-Canada Fuelling Athlete 2017 Grant.
Every year, Petro-Canada selects 55 promising athletes from across Canada to receive these grants as part of their Fueling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE) Program. These athletes and their coaches are awarded a $10,000 FACE grant to help them along their journey, with $5,000 going directly to the athlete and $5,000 going to their coach. FACE grants are often used for training, equipment, coach education and travel expenses for competitions.
Maura and her synchronize swimming coach Jennifer Koptie both received the FACE grant.
Maura started synchronized swimming when she was six years old. She quickly fell in love with the sport and moved from a recreational program to the provincial-level, and then the national-level program at Variety Village in Scarborough, Ontario. Three years ago Maura was selected to train at the Regional Training Centre in Ontario as a national-level high performance athlete.
Maura is a three-time Canadian national team member and has won several awards, including placing first in Canada in the 13-15 year old duet category, as well as receiving gold in the 12 and under solo category.
Her favourite part of the sport is the team event and she has been fortunate to swim with excellent teams under the direction of great coaches. Maura’s various teams have won many gold and silver medals in several different age categories at various Canadian competitions throughout the years.
Now at the 15-18 years old or junior level, Maura especially loves combining her overall athleticism with the artistic elements of the sport, making it both extremely difficult and rewarding. She trains 30 hours a week at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre and works hard at juggling a full-time high school schedule with the high demands of synchronized swimming, a sport which requires many hours of land training in strength and flexibility as well as countless hours of water training.
Showing her well-rounded approach to life, Maura said: “my dream is to be a good person who is kind to others and who always does her best at everything she tries, both as an athlete and in life.”
Posted: November 3, 2017