Olympic hopeful helping out at camp

For participants at the third annual Clovis High summer swim clinic, one of their instructors knows exactly what it’s like to be part of a budding swim program.

Of course, things are vastly different for Atiba Wade. For one thing, a movie was made about the program Wade was in.

Wade, the swim coach at Santa Fe Prep, is in town to lend his expertise to the younger members of his sport.

Wade grew up in Philadelphia, where his initiation into swimming was through PDR — the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. In a sport where black athletes were, and still are a rarity, the PDR proved it was possible to entice black youths to the pool where they could be competitive.

The story of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation swim program is told in the movie “Pride,” starring Terrence Howard. Wade wasn’t among the first group of swimmers in this story, which he said dates back to the late 1970s, but he and his peers continued its success into the 1990s.

“Everyday it’s just more and more,” said Clovis swim coach Vince de Maio of what he’s personally learning from Wade. “This guy is just amazing. He’s really motivational and a great guy.”

The 10-day Clovis clinic at Cannon Air Force Base and the Clovis Aquatic Center includes 57 swimmers.

What’s particularly motivating for the young Clovis swimmers is that Wade’s competitive days are not over. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Wade first qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials in 2000. Now, at an age when most swimmers are making permanent moves into other areas, the 30-year-old Wade has qualified for the trials again in the 100-yard breast stroke, the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle.

Wade’s personal coach is Lois Daigneault — a Santa Fe resident herself who once coached the national swim teams in Canada and Macedonia. Daigneault and Wade are in Clovis to help with the CHS clinic.

“In terms of helping other swimmers reach their potential, it’s great because I remember when I was younger — looking up to the older swimmers for guidance and motivation,” Wade said. “To be able to be that role model, for these younger kids, is a pleasure.”

The Olympic trials will take place in Omaha, Neb., and the lucky few who do well will earn a spot on the U.S. team at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Asked what would be a good meet for himself in Omaha, Wade’s answer is simple.

“Making the team,” he said. “If you make the Olympic trials, you have just as much a shot as anyone.”

The Clovis High School team, even as recent as a year ago, struggled to find a permanent place to have practices.

As far as Wade is concerned, however, the area is just fine for a swimmer training to make the Olympic team.

“The facility here at Cannon Air Force Base is terrific. Outdoor, long-course training facility, the weather is perfect and the altitude is lower than Santa Fe,” said Wade, who has a fairly logical outlook for training outdoors although the trials and the Olympics will be held indoors this year.

“I just like training outdoors,” he said. “On a sunny day, you just don’t want to be inside.”