Jeff Welechuk

First in a  series of CMSC member profiles.

There are a number of CMSC swimmers who have excelled in competition over the years as a Masters athlete. But few have been as successful as Jeff Welechuk, who has been with us for almost 20 years. His efforts have been recognized by Masters Swimming Canada who inducted him into MSC’s Hall Of Excellence in 2013.

An excellent swimmer in all 4 strokes (he owns Canadian Records in IM and Backstroke), the back stroke is his specialty. A highlight of many meets is watching Jeff with his amazing underwater starts. He ages up in 2015 and we expect to see a number of new Alberta and Canadian records added to his personal portfolio.

Jeff has also given back to the swimming community, as a coach with University of Calgary Swim Team for 19 years.

How long have you been swimming with Calgary Masters?

I think I’ve been a member since 1996. I switched from UofC masters. CMSC had a program that trained all year round and provided me with the training that allowed me to be competitive with other top level masters swimmers in the world. I was able to train at the level required and still balance work and coaching with that training. It such a great environment to be around other swimmers that have the same goals and aspirations.

How often do you train in the pool?

Well I’ve been sick for about 2 weeks now and out of the water for 9 days… I am really itching to get back in and swim. My training routine in the pool is 5 workouts each week. I swim Monday AM, Tuesday, PM, Wednesday AM, (I can’t make the training times on Thursday and Friday due to work\coaching commitments), Saturday AM and Sunday AM.

What do you do out of the pool to train for swimming.

To get in a bit of extra exercise… and help me get to coaching on time… I commute in and out of DT on my bike… everyday all year… -30 doesn’t stop me!!! LOL!

In 2013 Jeff’s induction into the Hall Of Excellence highlighted his 54 Canadian records that he had set – and at the time he still held 21!

I’m not sure how many records I’ve set. One of the things that motivates me is the FINA world rankings. As I am at the bottom of the 44-44 age group I try an see how many top 10 placings I can get against the younger guys in the age group. On January 1 I age up into the 45-49 age group and i am looking forward to challenging some of those Canadian records. I’ve never held an individual world record but did have a relay record in the 120 -140 age category for the 4 x 50 Medley Relay.

The majority of my records would be in the 40-44 age group… not sure on the number… my oldest record I think is the 200 Back LCM in the 25-29 age group.

At the 2015 FINA World Masters Championships in Montreal Jeff had 5 top 10 finishes!

I was pretty happy with my results at Worlds this year. It was my first world championships and my best placing was 3rd in the 100 backstroke. Everything else was top 10 and I was pleased that I was competitive in the age group.

Do you expect to add some more records when you age up next year?

As mentioned above I have given the existing records a look see. I do have my eye on a few of the records. My first rested meet will be the Canadian Nationals in May. The meet is at my favorite pool and I’m looking forward to resetting my personal bests in this age group. Maybe a few of them will be Canadian records.

http://mymsc.ca/Results.jsp?name=welechuk,+Jeff

Any comments on your Induction into MSC’s Hall of Excellence in 2013?

I was quite surprised to receive that award. It was an honor. I just love to swim… I love coaching and giving back to the younger swimmers and I love being able to continue to compete well into my adult life. To be recognized for that is a great honor.

http://mymsc.ca/Article.jsp?id=199

How long have you been coaching at U of C?

I’m in my 19th season with the UofC swim club. I am currently the head coach of the gold 12 squad. I coach 11-12 provincial qualifiers that are working on Age Group National time standards.

There have been so many great swimmers I have coached. Each swimmer is unique… some have gone on to represent Canada internationally while others it was an accomplishment to do an underwater pull out in breaststroke. To be able to share my passion for swimming and have them return each season with a smile on their face made me feel proud.

And how about your own career as an age grouper, where did you start swimming?

I started swimming in Hinton back in 1977 as a summer club swimmer. After the 84 Olympics in Grad 10 I moved to Edmonton away from home to train year round with the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club. After graduating High School I swam with the UofA Golden Bears till 94/95… I then swam a couple of seasons post Grad before switch to Masters in 1997. I’ve never really taken a break from swimming.

I think my biggest accomplishments were the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana Cuba and the 1993 world student games in Buffalo, New York… I did compete on the 1991 Canada games team and various provincial teams through my career.

Have you ever been dq’d for going past the 15m underwater? 😉

As a masters swimmer I have not been DQ’d for doing that… I’m pretty conservative and pop up around 14m. When I was a senior national qualifier back in my early 20’s i think i got nailed for that once! It usually only takes 1 time for you to adjust your kicks. After putting in all that training you really don’t want to lose an opportunity by cheating, lol.

What do you do out of the pool to train for swimming?

To get in a bit of extra exercise… and help me get to coaching on time… I commute in and out of DT on my bike… everyday all year… -30 doesn’t stop me!!! LOL!

What one tip would you pass along to other swimmers on the club?

I would encourage other swimmers to swim Masters Provincials… It is the biggest masters meet in the province. It’s a lot of fun!

Hope that helps!

Jeff