Innovative Fitness has helped me to swim faster. My name is Adam Rahier and I am a para-swimmer living with Autism and this is my story.
While my family tells me I have been a swimmer all my life, I started swimming competitively at 14 years of age. Now at 25, 2 BC Winter Games, 1 Western Canadian Summer Games, 2 Canada Summer Games, 8 Can Am Championships and 2 World Championships later I am still working toward the ‘Big Show’, the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
In July of 2012 I learned that the London 2012 Swimming Canada Para swimming team, consisting of 9 male swimmers, did not include me, which might have been the result of lots of math involved with the International Paralympic Committee team size process. With these limits and the Team Canada ranking process I believe I was possibly the 10th or 11th swimmer that might have been selected had Canada earned more spots via the IPC math; a tremendous disappointment after so many years of focus and dedication.
So, with the words “Glory to Canada” I wished my Canadian teammates well on their way and made the decision to regroup and refocus my energies toward the next 4-year cycle. In January 2013, I moved from Nanaimo to Surrey to continue pursuing my goal of competing in Rio. I knew I needed to complement my training in the pool with some strength and conditioning training, and Innovative Fitness was recommended by both my National Team coach and my new coach with the Surrey Knights. Paul Chung and Guy Demong welcomed me to their gym and were amazing in helping me to pinpoint my areas needing work. They were welcoming and accommodating in setting up a program that could work for me and my specific goals. Since then, I have been lucky to work with 3 amazing trainers, Rafal, John and Angela, who surprise me regularly in showing me what I am able to do. They are all very knowledgeable and more importantly, very supportive.
I have just returned from my recent Can-Am Swimming Championships in Miami/Coconut Grove, March 27-29th, 2014. This was a qualifying meet for this summer’s Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Pasadena, California. I feel that my training at IF is reflecting in my results. Of my 5 events I was able to achieve 4 personal best times, a gold, two silver, a bronze and a fourth place finish.
Thank you IF – I feel you are all as dedicated to my goals as I am and I will see you all in Rio in 2016!
