Homecoming: Returning to The Aquarena

After 29 long months away, we are proud and excited to finally walk through the doors at the Aquarena once again.

What was originally announced as a one-year closure became a prolonged and challenging period for our entire aquatics community. An extended shutdown as a result of delays and unforeseen complexities stretched what was meant to be temporary into over two years away from our home facility. During this time, our swimmers trained across multiple locations, adapted to constantly changing schedules, and showed remarkable resilience in the face of uncertainty.

The impact of the Aquarena’s closure extended far beyond our program. Diving, artistic swimming, water polo, Masters programs, and countless recreational, therapeutic, and leisure users were all displaced. The past 29 months reinforced just how vital this facility is—not only to competitive aquatics, but to the broader community it serves.

We are deeply grateful to the partner facilities that supported us throughout this period. In particular, we would like especially acknowledge the City of St. John’s for providing long term and consistent access at the Paul Reynolds Community Centre and the H.G.R. Mews Community Centre. Thank you to the City of Mount Pearl for welcoming us at the Summit Centre as time and space allowed and to The Works for their continued support through enhanced access to the MUN Pool. These partnerships made it possible for our program to continue operating during an exceptionally difficult time.

Throughout the closure, our athletes never lost their sense of team, and our coaching staff remained focused on delivering high-quality training. We also extend sincere thanks to our families for their patience, flexibility, and unwavering support as we navigated ongoing changes.

Returning to the Aquarena represents more than the reopening of the provinces largest pool. It is a return to a shared home, a sense of stability, and the opportunity to train together under one roof once again. As we look ahead, we are excited not only to re-establish our full operations at the Aquarena, but also to expand our programming. In the fall, we look forward to returning to City of St. John’s pools to once again offer our leading Lil Legends and Swim School programs in the afternoons at their pools along side the Aquarena offering.

Thank you to everyone who stood with us through this extended transition. We are excited for what lies ahead and proud to move forward together, back where we belong.

#BleedBlue