Chloe Popp has had a great season in the pool for the North Bay Y Titans swim club.
The North Bay swimmer is heading to the Toronto Pan Am Centre to compete in the Olympic Trials in the 100 M breast stroke.
"It has been a very successful season for me," said the grade 12 student at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall.
"I have been swimming personal bests at almost all meets I have attended. I qualified for the Ontario Swim Championships and the Ontario Junior International Meet, and that is when I realized I was close to the Junior Olympic Trial standard."
Matthew Fallowfield, head coach with the North Bay Y Titans swim club has been impressed with her progress in the pool this season.
"This year she has really upped her game and has made an Olympic Trials cut which is quite impressive," said Fallowfield.
"It was very rewarding as a coach to see one of our swimmers achieve that level.
"Chloe has been a very coachable athlete from the start. I have coached here for the past three years now. She always comes to practice with the best mentality. She is always willing to work hard pushing her limits."
Popp believes a lot of her success comes from hard work and having a positive mindset.
"Once I realized I was close to qualifying for the Olympic Trials, I was determined to attain that goal," said Popp.
"I had to properly manage my time to put in a lot of hours in and out of the pool."
Fallowfield believes Popp is mentally strong.
"She is very good at keeping her head in the game where she wants to achieve and I think that is a big part of their success too," he said.
"She knows she can do great things going into every race feeling she can progress to a higher level."
Popp's great season has also led to a commitment from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where she will swim for its USports varsity swim team next fall.
"I am excited to continue my swimming career at Acadia University and to compete at USports," said Popp.
"Acadia is a beautiful university with much to offer in academics and athletics. I look forward to making many new memories and friendships."
The timing of Popp reaching the Olympic trials is ironic as it comes around the same time as Dominique Bouchard was inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame.
See related: Olympic swimmer inducted into North Bay Sports HOF
Bouchard is the last North Bay swimmer to compete at the Olympics as Bouchard finished 9th in the 200 M backstroke and 12th in the 100 M backstroke Rio de Janerio, Brazil in 2016.
"Dominique has been a positive role model for the Titans since I was little," admitted Popp.
"Over the years, I have been a Titan and attended many head-to-head clinics by Dominique. I have always found her Olympic Trial story inspiring, and now I look forward to making my own story."
Popp hopes she can be a role model for younger Titans swimmers as she cherished a decade of swimming with the competitive local swim club.
"It has taught me more than just swimming, making me the person I am today," admits Popp.
"I have been so fortunate to have many great coaches over the years. My current coach, Matthew Fallowfield, has supported me and brought me to the next level of swimming, and I can't thank him enough. I would also like to thank my teammates and the Titan family for all the support they have given me along my journey."
