RCAF Swimmer wins 14 Gold Medals at CF Nationals
News Article / May 16, 2012
By Sgt Bill McLeod
17 Wing Photojournalist
17 Wing Winnipeg, Man. –Captain Stephanie Bigelow, an instructor at 1 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (1 CFFTS), part of the Air Force Training Centre in Winnipeg, is going to have to develop a strong neck.
Capt Bigelow was draped with 14 gold medals for swimming at the CF Nationals held at the Etobicoke Olympium complex in Toronto during the 2012 Ontario Masters Swimming Competition. The competition was held from 30 March to 1 April.
Only 3 of the 14 gold medals counted for the CF Nationals competition, the other 11 medals were Ontario provincial medals. “The Canadian Forces tries to buddy up with a local competition for the Nationals,” said Captain Bigelow. “It would be a small meet if we didn’t.”
Capt Bigelow won the gold medal in the CF Nationals for the 100 meter butterfly, the 100m freestyle, and 200m individual medley. The remaining Ontario Masters Championship medals were earned in the women's 50, 100, and 200m butterfly, 200 and 400m individual medley, and 100m breaststroke. The relay team won gold in the 800m medley relay, 400m medley relay, 400m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle relay, and 200m medley relay.
Other members that made up the Manitoba team included 2nd Lieutenant Jacinda Smit from 1Canadian Air Division, Capt Alex Bronson from 17 Wing Transport and Electrical Mechanical Engineers, and Lt Casey Gergeley from 742 Signals Squadron based out of Shilo, Manitoba. The teams had to include 2 men and 2 women to compete in the relay races. The same team recently competed in the 2012 Manitoba Masters Provincial Championships, using the small meet as a venue to help train for larger competitions.
2Lt Jacinda Smit also won the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle and the 50 and 100m backstroke events in her age category winning two CF Nationals medals and Capt Bronson had a first place finish and three second place wins in the Ontario Masters Championships. All team members shared the relay wins.
Capt Bigelow grew up in the Canadian Forces and the water. Her father was a CF Pilot Instructor at Moose Jaw when she was born and she was enrolled in swimming lessons when she was 2 years old. She began racing competitively at age 8 with the Dartmouth Crusaders Swim Team until her family was posted to Comox, where she joined the Comox Valley Sharks Aquatic Team. Several members of the Comox Valley team went on to become Olympic athletes and Capt Bigelow was in the same lane when she was named to the Canadian Junior National Team, the feeder team for Canada’s Olympic Team.
In 2004 she decided to drop out of the Junior National Team and join the Canadian Forces and in 2008 she completed a chemistry degree from the Royal Military College. After finishing top of her Air Navigation course at the then Canadian Forces Air Navigation School (CFANS) she was selected to become an instructor at the renamed 1 CFFTS.
Capt Bigelow hopes to continue her winning streak at the Rescue 2012 World Lifesaving Championships in Adelaide, Australia from 4-18 November.
For more information about 1 CFFTS please visit:
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/17w-17e/schools-ecoles/page-eng.asp?id=461
For more information about CF National Sports please visit: