Approximately 85 people participated in the 8th annual Ryan Downing Memorial Swim Meet held in the Whitehorse Lions Aquatic Centre on Oct. 26-27.

This event, hosted by the Whitehorse Glacier Bears Swim Club, is special, not only because it commemorates the life of a great swimmer and person, but because it places individual improvement on a higher level than even a first place finish.

'The Ryan Downing Meet is really a great meet because it is at the beginning of the season and it gives the kids here in the Yukon an opportunity to race early on, in all ages, from our teeny-tiny, just starters to our seniors in the water at the same time,' said Tammie Pasloski, a Director for the Glacier Bears. 'It is a best times format. A lot of the meets that you go to, the rules are set out where kids are placed based on first, second or third and the fastest time wins. In the Ryan Downing format kids are seated on their current posted time from the previous season and the goal is for them to better that time. If they better that time they are awarded a ribbon.'

Ryan Downing was born on Nov. 29, 1983. He was just four years old when he became a member of the Whitehorse Glacier Bears and his dedication as well as passion to both the club and sport was nothing short of contagious. Ryan was an incredibly talented swimmer, who tragically passed away one week after his13th birthday due to a problem with his heart.

This is the first really big event of the season for the Glacier Bears and it not only attracts swimmers, of all ages, from across Whitehorse, but a group from Haines, Alaska as well.

Pasloski, who acted as a co-meet manger at the event, has been involved with this meet since the beginning. She said the best part is when a young swimmer comes to her all excited about achieving a new personal best.

'The kids work really hard and this (event) gives them the link between the training and the racing and it kind of clicks,' Pasloski said. 'They put in many hours and this is their test to see how they've done.'

This year was the third time, 11-year-old, Isabel Parkkari participated in Ryan Downing Memorial Swim Meet. Although Parkkari has only been swimming for a few years she has already accomplished a respectable list of achievements. These feats include qualifying for the BC AA Championships, which is being held in February as well as, earlier in the year, attaining the rank of Polar Bear in the Whitehorse Glacier Bears Swim Club. On Friday, Parkkari added to her swimming exploits when she beat her own personal best swim time, in the 1500 m freestyle, by two and a half minutes.

She said there is more than one reason why she likes participating in this swim meet.

'I get to see how much I have improved from the start of the season and a chance to beat my own time.'

This is one of Isabel's favourite events throughout the course of the swim season and she plans on taking part in next year's meet.

Steve Vick has been coaching the Haines Dolphins Swim Team for four years. He said the team has been involved with the Ryan Downing Memorial Swim Meet since before his time and despite the long six hour drive down from Alaska this event is not a difficult one to sell to his swimmers.

'This is just a great overall meet for all levels of swimmers. It is always a relaxed atmosphere here,' he said. 'It's neat to see the kids when they come back after each year, they start calling each other by name. They have friends in Whitehorse and the kids really like that. It gives them something to talk about when they go back to school. There is no other sports team at our school that competes internationally, so it is just one more thing that swimming can bring to them and offer.'

Vick, who joked about Whitehorse being their closest neighbour, said the relationship between the two communities is important and that participating in this event helps improve the skill and confidence level of his swimmers.

'I think it is an important relationship and I think both teams recognize that,' he said 'Just because we are two communities way up north and there aren't a lot of people to swim against. There are kids that come to their first away meet here who are terrified or don't want to swim outside their own pool and come back from this just beaming, telling their friends they have to go to this meet.'