the TNTs and going to high school in
Thompson.
“Then, in 2004, I was 18 and I started
university. I was back swimming
with Vlastic (head coach and former
Olympian Cerny) and taking nursing.
Turns out that nursing wasn’t
something I wanted to do,” she recalled.
“I lasted two years and decided it wasn’t
for me.”
So she left, returned to Thompson,
had a baby, and then she had an
epiphany. She is now 29 and swimming
alongside the best 18-22-year-old
swimmers in the country.
“It hasn’t been easy, but with my
daughter Mila for motivation, I’ve been
able to do what needs to be done and
I’ll graduate next April,” she said. “It’s
funny, but when I came back, I had to
work up the nerve to go back to Vlastic
and ask if I could have the chance to
swim again (Full disclosure: Coach
Cerny laughed when he was told of
Moors’ reluctance top approach him).
I think he was a little reluctant but he
asked me how many chin-ups I could
do. I said, ‘26’ and he said, that’s good
enough (world class Australian Olympic
swimmers usually do about 20).
“I qualified for the CIS in my first
year and I’ve been getting better ever
since. I recently read U.S. Olympian
Dara Torres’ book. She went back to the
Olympics in her 40s. She convinced me
that age is just a number. I’ve had no
trouble swimming with this generation
of swimmers. In fact, I just had a pretty
good year.”
She’s looking forward to a good
season this year, her fifth year of CIS
eligibility.
The Bisons will head West for
the College Cup at UBC during
the first week of November, then
they’ll compete in the Canada West
Championships back at UBC, the
final week of November. The CIS
Championships will be held at Laval in
February.
Kimberly and her daughter Mila
“Kimberly’s been working hard in
fact she’s in the gym today,” said Cerny,
reached by SportsLife in the weight
room at the U of M. “It’s not easy going
to school, swimming competitively and
being a single mom, but she’s done a
great job. We’re looking forward to some
big things this year.” l
Photography by
Jeff and Tara Miller
204-430-5522
sportslife / 33