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16-year-old Oakville resident Evelyn Goddard won gold with Team Canada’s Artistic Swimming Team at the 2023 Pan Am Artistic Swimming Championships in Florida.
Goddard started swimming at the Ignite Artistic Swimming Club (formerly the Burlington Synchronized Swimming Club) at the age of seven and has loved it ever since and got into swimming via a friend's recommendation.
"I was doing different sports like gymnastics, dance, lap swimming, stuff like that and I just found out from a friend about synchronized swimming, now called artistic swimming and I just decided to try it," says Goddard.
"I just remember the first time ever jumping in the pool and starting to try new things. I just think I've loved it ever since then."
@christianmartinphoto
As her love for artistic swimming grew, she joined the competitive side of the sport. Goddard made the provincial team in 2019 while swimming with the Ignite Artistic Swimming Club and currently swims at the Remix Artistic Swimming Club at Toronto Pan Am Centre.
Goddard found out in June that she made the National team at the end of trial camp. After being selected, she spent seven weeks in Montreal training at the INS National Team Training Centre.
"I felt really proud of myself. It's a different feeling being able to represent Canada and wear the Maple Leaf."
With only knowing and training with her teammates for about two months before the competition in Florida, long hours in and out of the pool pulled off, bringing home the gold medal, and winning against teams who trained together year-round.
Goddard now has her eyes set on continuing with the Junior National Team next year then working her way towards the Senior National Team before trying to bring home another gold at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.
