Many of Bermuda’s top young swimmers have just completed the Sharks Swim Club’s annual high-performance training camp in Orlando, Florida.

The camp, led by head coach Ben Smith, brought together a dedicated group of athletes — Elena Bortoli, Luca Bortoli, Lilian Colette, Emilia Dunkerley, Elanna Fulton, Noah Fulton, Rhiana Hayward, Zach Johnson, Logan Jones, Jacob Leclerc, Cam Duda, Sofia Leclerc, Jaime MacFarlane, Joseph Moniz, Ethan Smith, Axel Wernbo, Jorgia White and Allison Steynor — for a week of intense training designed to push them to their physical and mental limits.

Throughout the week, the swimmers covered close to 100,000 yards in the pool, the equivalent of almost 60 miles, while also completing daily one or two-mile team runs and core land sessions focused on strength, mobility, and endurance. Each day included two demanding two-hour swimming workouts, challenging the athletes with a combination of distance, speed, technique, and race-pace training.

“This camp is about preparation and resilience,” said coach Smith. “I asked these swimmers to go beyond what they thought possible, while trying to maintain perfect technique even when exhausted. They had to remain focused on execution as they grew stronger both physically and mentally.”

The DC11 camp is a key part of the Sharks’ build-up towards the upcoming Bermuda Sharks Kattegat Sprint Championships and Winter Age Group Championships. Distance swimmers are targeting top performances in the 1,500m freestyle, while sprinters and IM specialists are sharpening their speed and precision under heavy training loads.

Behind the scenes, Team Managers Rebecca White and Shirene Fulton ensured the camp ran smoothly by co-ordinating meals, recovery and team logistics, keeping the 18 athletes fuelled and focused throughout the intense schedule.

By the end of the week, each swimmer logged nearly 25 hours of swimming, eight hours of land work, and more than ten miles of running. The camp’s “Extreme Week” mindset challenged every swimmer to embrace discomfort and push through fatigue, building both character and confidence for the championship season ahead. Coach Smith provided team talks on athlete nutrition and motivation to provide tools that will continue to build these young athletes going forward.

After the hard week of training the young teens were rewarded with a night to attend the Orlando Magic Basketball game before travelling back to Bermuda.

“These athletes are showing what real commitment looks like,” added Smith. “Their dedication this week sets the tone for success when they return to competition and in their young lives going forward. Many young people will have spent the school break sitting on the couch while these 18 chose to accept the challenge. They return home with the DC-11 mindset”