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2 NEWS “I's SLOWLY STARTING TO HIT ME’ § LOCAL SWIMMER # REIGNS SUPREME é AT WORL 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS £ HERB GARBUTT = hgarbutt@metroland.com In the month leading up Tessa Cieplucha sioned herself on the podi- with a medal. “I thought it would be so cool to medal in the 400 IM (individual medley), and I e group," the 23-year-old said. et a 14th place finish Olympics in July, be had been work- ing on the first half of her swims (butterfly and back- stroke) and, at the von short-course — cham) ships in Abu Dhabi i in "De. cember, that preparation paid off. Cieplucha swam a time of 4:25.55, a personal best by 18 seconds and the second- fastest time ever recorded yy a Canadian woman, to win the world title. It was Canada's first individual gold medal at the short- course words in 19 years. She earned a second gold, swimming in the pre- liminaries or Canada's inning 00m freestyle relay team. flect on it, it's really, really cool. Q: How was your Olympic experience? A: Coming off a year where there were almost no racing opportunities, Tokyo was the first big in- ternational meet, and I put a lot of pressure on myself. Q@ "World champion" has a nice ring to it. A it's slowly starting to ® He $ It's the Olympics, and it's only every four years. I was pretty nervous, and I didn't know what to expect. That led to me not having the greatest race, but wouldn't have anything. I learned so much from that experi- ence. was the pre) ration for worlds differ- ent? A The ISL (Internation- al Swimming League) sea- son started a month after the Olympics. I didn't have that much time to sit down id take a break and breathe. It was really busy and exhausting at times. Our team (the Toronto Ti- tans) exceeded expecta- tions, and I won some rac- es. It built some great mo- mentum and I started re- gaining some confidence. Q: Di ju approach the race differently at worlds? A:l've always had a WE bal WALK-IN & FAMILY CLINIC NEW Family Doctor ~ Accepting New Patients FULL SERVICE MEDICAL CLINIC * Extended Hours * Senior's Health * Lab On-Site * Pharmacy On-Site * Male & Female Physicians © Family and Walk-in * Women’s Health & Pregnancy Care * Sports Medicine 221 Miller Dr., Georgetown 905-873-6776 GenesisHealthTeam.com Sher good health begins Opposite to Allison's Farm Market Khaldoon Aldway photo Tessa Cieplucha reacts to her win at the world short-course swim championships in Abu Dhabi. stronger back half, so I've been working on pushing the front, where there's room for the most improve- ment. You swim enough races to know when you feel rested and strong. In the final, I knew I could go for it. I knew I could push every stroke and have the swim of my life. ASK the Professionals Find local professionals here every Thursd Fer please call 905-23¢ or email kkesonic@theifp.ca Q: What was theend of that race lke? The (00m, after the breaststroke, Icould see (the other swimmers) at my feet (a body length behind). I just thought, 'Hold on, Tess, you can finish this.' I was in pain and it hurt, but it was worth it. It was the coolest feeling ever. Q: What's ahead in 2022? A:I'm ville now. Tt be home, for trials in early April in Vic- toria. At the end of May is (long course) a and Commonwealth Games af- ter that, then another ISL season. I'm really looking forward to it. ertising information DR. ANOOP SAYAL Family and Cosmetic Dentistry ao located in a) Georgetown Marketplace Mall 905-877-CARE (2273) Q' Is thumb sucking bad? 2 Yes and no. First, it must be understood we thumb sucking is a “natural reflex”. ultrasound test on a developing baby will often oo him or her sucking a thumb. When this habit goes on for too long, however, orthodontic problems can often occur. By the age of six or seven, the child’s permanent teeth are just beginning to arrive. Before then, thumb sucking will cause few problems. After permanent teeth arrive, abnormal pressure from the thumb can cause the front upper teeth to become “bucked”. The bottom front teeth then become crowded backward. A misalignment of the teeth occurs. So, how do you stop thumb sucking for your four or five year old? Some have found gloving the hand, dipping the thumb in vinegar and increased attention to the child help. In the end, though, treatment depends on how long and often the thumb sucking occurs. To avoid any permanent damage, don’t delay your attempts to stop this habit. ols