Welcome to Westside Thunder
Swim. Train. Improve. Have fun doing it.
Westside Thunder is an adult Masters swim club based in West Kelowna, welcoming swimmers with a range of experience and goals who want to improve their swimming, build endurance and enjoy training with a great group of people.
Whether you're looking for a structured workout, working on your stroke technique, training for a triathlon or open-water event, or simply looking for a more enjoyable way to stay active, Westside Thunder offers coached practices designed to help you become a stronger, more confident swimmer.
Westside Thunder is designed for adults who already have basic swimming skills and are comfortable swimming laps independently. It is not a learn-to-swim program.
Please be sure to create an account and complete the MSABC registration process before joining the club.
Practice With Us
Tuesday & Thursday
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre
West Kelowna, BC
Practices are led by Coach Tina Pomponio, with structured workouts designed to accommodate a range of swimming abilities, speeds and goals.
Swimmers train in lanes with others of similar ability and are encouraged to work at a pace that is appropriate for them.
A typical workout may cover approximately 2 km, but workouts can be adjusted based on ability, fitness and individual goals.
Please arrive a few minutes early,
as warm-up begins promptly at 8:00 PM.
More Than Just Laps
Yes, we train.
Yes, there are workouts.
And yes, sometimes the whiteboard may suggest that Coach Tina has wildly optimistic ideas about how much swimming fits into an hour.
But Westside Thunder is also about the people in the lanes beside you.
Our club offers coaching, stroke development and structured training in a friendly, supportive environment. Members train toward all kinds of goals, and being part of the group makes those kms in the pool considerably more fun.
Do I Need to Be an Experienced Swimmer?
You don't need to be a competitive swimmer, but you do need to already know how to swim.
No previous Masters or competitive swim club experience is required.
Westside Thunder includes recreational and fitness swimmers, triathletes, open-water swimmers and those with previous competitive experience. What our members have in common is a basic swimming foundation and a desire to improve.
To participate, swimmers should:
- Be 18 years of age or older *or turning 18 within the calendar year
- Be comfortable and independent in the water
- Be able to swim repeated lengths of the pool as part of a structured workout
- Have a basic understanding of the main swimming strokes, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly
- Be open to coaching, stroke correction and continued improvement
You do not need to be fast, have perfect technique or compete in swim meets.
However, Westside Thunder is a coached fitness and stroke-development program, not a learn-to-swim program. Our coaching is focused on helping swimmers improve the skills they already have, while building technique, endurance and confidence in the water.
More Than Just Swimming
Westside Thunder is a community as much as it is a workout.
Our members may be training toward very different goals, but there's something motivating about having familiar faces in the lanes beside you, sharing workouts, encouraging each other and occasionally questioning what Tina has written on the whiteboard. *But still being happy to do it
Throughout the season, members may also take part in swim meets, open-water events, triathlons, club activities, fundraisers and social events.
Whether you're training for something specific or simply enjoy being part of a group, swimming is considerably more fun when you're not staring at the black line alone.
Follow along for club updates, events and announcements.
