1. 1/5/2016 Winnipeg’s Wog staying home, looks to build on Canada’s breaststroke tradition – Swimming Canada
https://www.swimming.ca/en/news/2015/12/29/winnipegswogstayinghomelookstobuildoncanadasbreaststroketradition/ 1/2
Nathan ager
Kele Wog i not aout to me with ucce.
The Winnipegger ha committed to her hometown Univerit of Manitoa ion, joining a wave of
top recruit who are opting to compete in Canadian Interuniverit port. It’ a natural progreion
for Wog. After all, the 17-ear-old who lowered three national 15-17 age-group hort-coure
record in a nine-da pan earlier thi month ha een with the ion Junior wim program ince it
launched in 2006.
“I thought aout wimming NCAA, jut for the fun of it and ecaue it’ thi ig pretigiou thing,”
Wog aid on a recent morning in etween practice with U of M coach Vlatimil (Vlatik) Cern and an
exam at Vincent Mae High chool. “Then I jut realized that I wanted to ta in Canada and wim
in CI, and againt the people I am going to have to compete againt if I want to make national
team.
“It’ een working for me and I found an academic program that I reall want,” Wog added. “taing
at home i jut uch a ig advantage. I get to leep in m own ed. M mom (uan) and dad (Travi)
and rother (Kle) are here and can upport me – and m mom can cook for me.”
Wog’ trong finih to 2015 included etting age-group mark in 100-metre reattroke (1:06.20)
and 200-m individual medle (2:10.14) on Dec. 5-6 at the Ontario Junior International meet in
Toronto. The following weekend, he had a 2:21.62 200-m reattroke at the Prairie Winter
Invitational. That haved 0.53 econd off the mark held Kierra mith, a 2015 Pan-Am Game
gold medallit.
“It wa prett cool that I roke Kierra mith’ record,” aid Wog, who’ intereted in tuding
agriculture at U of M. “I’m jut looking forward to the next few ear.”
‘Off the eaten path’
Feature – Decemer 29, 2015
WINNIPEG’S WOG STAYING HOME, LOOKS
TO BUILD ON CANADA’S BREASTSTROKE
TRADITION
2. 1/5/2016 Winnipeg’s Wog staying home, looks to build on Canada’s breaststroke tradition – Swimming Canada
https://www.swimming.ca/en/news/2015/12/29/winnipegswogstayinghomelookstobuildoncanadasbreaststroketradition/ 2/2
There i more to Wog’ acent than the hometown apect. The ion Junior program take a
unique high intenit-aed approach where wimmer have onl one dail two-hour eion in the
pool. The have to imulate a “race pace,” rather than work primaril on uilding their aeroic level.
“We have had other people from the junior program wim for u, ut it’ nice to have omeone of
Kele’ talent and potential and ailit validate the program that we have tarted,” Cern aid.
“Kele’ a tremendou athlete – he ha the kill of a fih. When he puhe off the wall, he jut
treamline.
“he like to train fat. Over the ear, m coaching philooph ha evolved to elieve that
wimming – in 200-metre event and down – i not o much of an endurance port a traditionall
ha een done.
“I elieve our port i a highl technical power port when it come to the 200-metre event and
down and that’ how we’ve changed our program. We focu heavil on kill and technique and high-
intenit training, which mean the volume of wimming i le than tradition dictate.”
That leave Wog with time to tud and have ome emlance of a normal teenage life. he’ alo a
competitive highland dancer, and find the two killet overlap.
“I wa in dance firt,” he aid. “o when I got to the pool, I think I had a little more trength and jut
had more od awarene. At firt m mom put me in ome ort of allet, hip-hop dance cla when
I wa four and I jut hated it. ut I witched to highland dancing and I’ve een doing it ever ince. I
till do it three hour a week right now.”
Cern note Wog’ dance ackground alo make her an quick adapter if her troke need fine-
tuning.
“Through that dance ackground, he ha a developed a lot of od awarene,. he’ capale of
making change relativel quickl.”
Wog’ 2015 alo included earning 10 medal in Augut at the Wetern Canada ummer Game, a
quadrennial competition that i a rite of paage for man athlete from the Prairie. Of coure, now
it’ on to igger and righter tage, with the 2016 Olmpic Para-wimming Trial looming in April.
Wog i intent on not thinking too far ahead.
“I jut want to focu on training and getting fater,” he aid.
