Tellico Village lost its swim team, the Silver Tarpons, to the COVID-19 pandemic, but recently relaunched a swim program.
With a new coach and small but dedicated group, the hope is to grow the club back to former levels.
“When the pandemic hit, the coach was no longer able to come in and our numbers were greatly reduced,” Holly Seguine, Tellico Village Swim Team member, said. “You could only have so many people in the pool at a time. We just kind of kept it going grassroots. I wrote workouts for us during the pandemic and posted them online for people to use if they wanted or not. It wasn’t a coached or organized effort in any way. It was kind of very loose.”
As the community reopened and COVID restrictions relaxed, swimmers were able to get back together in the pool, prompting the club to find new life under new guidance.
“We just started last month,” Seguine said. “We have a coach ... Chris Pelant. … He’s got a lot of coaching experience, both kids and masters. He’s giving us workouts and really helping us with our stroke technique. I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from participants at this point.”
A former junior Olympic captain and Olympic trials qualifier, Pelant has been involved with swimming for 40 years, first in the water and then as a coach. He recently started Victory Swim Team in Lenoir City, a competitive team for children in surrounding counties.
“I’ve been in swimming my whole life,” he said. “I’ve been swimming 40 years. I’ve been a swimmer, I’ve been a swim parent and a coach. Swimming has touched the whole of my life from my earliest memories.”
Seguine approached Pelant about joining the team because of his experience coaching masters, notably with UCLA and aquatics in Tennessee and California.
The club now meets once a week on Tuesday mornings and is focused on equal parts competitive swimming and staying in shape and social.
“We’re teaching the disciplines of competitive and recreational swim, which includes the four competitive strokes,” Pelant said. “And we’re trying to teach Tellico masters that if you use that full body exercise more than an hour, and certainly weekly, you make good habits for the rest of their lives. One of the massive benefits of swimming for anyone, certainly for adults, is that they’ve proven that the full body exercise rejuvenates the body and elongates life. You might spend a few hours in the pool, but if you have a discipline of swimming on a weekly basis, there’s a good chance it’s going to help you be on this planet a bit longer.”
“The group is really there to foster a community of swimmers for fitness and to promote swimming in the Village,” Seguine added. “People certainly do not have to compete to belong. In fact, we have people who don’t compete, who don’t want to compete, but they want to become better swimmers or they just enjoy the sport and want to be around other people who enjoy the sport.”
But competition is available.
Seguine and another member, Leslie Shuman, both participated in the recent National Senior Games in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They and a third team member are also taking part in this week’s Tennessee Senior Olympics in Brentwood, with the possibility of qualifying for next year’s Senior Games.
All are welcome, with the club currently boasting only six regular members. Pelant said he hopes that number can grow and more Villagers become passionate about a sport that has given him so much.
Seguine said rebuilding a swimming community can help those looking to practice the sport keep each other accountable, while also meeting others with a common interest.
“I really hope we can grow our numbers and encourage people to come be part of our community of swimmers and just enjoy the sport,” she said. “I think it’s always more fun to swim with others as opposed to just swimming on your own. When you have someone next to you swimming, it’s good to kind of get a friendly rivalry going. I think it’s more fun to swim with others as opposed to just going on your own. … I think it’s just that accountability, having a group to go to and the camaraderie of swimming with other people. It just makes it more fun.”
