It's an exciting time for Swim Yukon and a select group of Whitehorse Glacier Bears, who will represent the territory at the 2009 Canada Summer Games.

The organization has been hard at work this past year, putting together what its president referred to as the best contingent of Yukon swimmers to compete at the summer games.

"We do have very optimistic expectations," said Ron Sumanik. "I think we have put together the best team ever and part of that is because of the comprehensive program we have put in place for a year now, including this last heavy-duty swim camp."

The swim camp began on Tuesday and will conclude Saturday. It's focus is not just on improvement in the water, but also on team building, which has included a number of out-of-pool activities.

Besides the regular practices, the camp has included yoga, pilates and sports psychology sessions.

The Yukon has never medalled in swimming at this competition, but Sumanik is confident that will change this year in P.E.I. The Canada Summer Games are scheduled for the final two weeks of August.

"We are pretty excited," he said. "I work with a tremendous board and we are pretty proud of what we have put together."

One of the reasons Sumanik is confident about the Yukon medalling at the Games is because it will have 16-year-old Alexandra Gabor racing on the team. Gabor recently competed at the World Championships in Rome and qualified to compete at the British Grand Prix in Leeds, England.

Gabor will compete in the 50-m, 100-m, 200-m, 400-m and 800-m freestyle events as well as five relays.

Complete list of Yukon swimmers for the 2009 Canada Summer Games:

Males: Felix Bouchard, Geofroi Bourcier, Tanner Cassidy, Brice Harding, Joshua Kelly, Spencer Sumanik and Jason Zrum.

Females: Kirsten Berube, Hayley Bielz, Taylor Campbell, Julia Fedoriak, Alexandra Gabor, Kate McArthur, Erin Oliver-Beebe and Molly Purser.

"It looks like everything is good and those activities are really building up the team," said Glacier Bears head coach Marek Poplawski.

"I think they will all be helping each other to really do the best they can do and we will see what will be the outcome, but I will be happy if they all will do best times.

That would be fantastic, that is what we will focus on."