Kylie Masse / en Stay strong at home: 老司机直播 Sport & Rec moves fitness and meditation classes online /news/stay-strong-home-u-t-sport-rec-moves-fitness-and-meditation-classes-online <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Stay strong at home: 老司机直播 Sport &amp; Rec moves fitness and meditation classes online</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/iStock-1149358179.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AeibS5o3 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/iStock-1149358179.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=FX8gdnhd 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/iStock-1149358179.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=PCgsFdA8 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/iStock-1149358179.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AeibS5o3" alt="woman doing crunches on a yoga mat in her living room with tablet beside"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2020-04-14T15:16:20-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 14, 2020 - 15:16" class="datetime">Tue, 04/14/2020 - 15:16</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by iStock via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jelena-damjanovic" hreflang="en">Jelena Damjanovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/coronavirus" hreflang="en">Coronavirus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/student-experience" hreflang="en">Student Experience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kylie-masse" hreflang="en">Kylie Masse</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>What do you do if you鈥檙e an Olympic athlete and your training routine has been disrupted by COVID-19? If you鈥檙e&nbsp;<strong>Kylie Masse</strong>, a Varsity Blues swimmer and winner of a bronze medal&nbsp;at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, you move your workouts indoors.</p> <p>To stay fit, she's been taking part in free online workouts offered by the University of Toronto's Sport &amp; Recreation division.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淢y training and schedule have changed drastically, similar to everyone around the world,鈥&nbsp;Masse says. 鈥淚t has been quite an adjustment to not have my usual regimented routine, but it has been nice to try different activities to maintain my fitness.鈥</p> <p>The workouts, ranging from high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to yoga and barre, were all part of the regular catalogue of group fitness classes offered by Sport &amp; Rec before the pandemic. They were adapted for the home and moved online after COVID-19 forced the closure of athletic facilities.<br> <br> 鈥淢oving our group fitness classes online was a significant undertaking that required a massive team effort on the part of our program staff and coaches,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Beth Ali</strong>, executive director of athletics and physical activity at 老司机直播.&nbsp;鈥淲e know from research that physical activity brings both physical and mental health benefits. This is especially true in times like these.鈥&nbsp;<br> <br> So far, Masse has taken part in the cardio dance party and barre classes (a hybrid workout that draws on elements of ballet, yoga and pilates) 鈥&nbsp;and she says she鈥檒l be back for more.</p> <p>鈥淚 loved the energy and the positivity of the instructors. They gave great instructions and guided our movements in a fun and enjoyable way,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t really felt like you were physically there. The barre class was challenging, but awesome because it was something I had not done before.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>The classes provide an opportunity to try a new activity that you may have been&nbsp;too timid to try before, she added.</p> <p>鈥淭he classes are so easily accessible and you can participate in them alone or, if you want company, with your parents, siblings, family or roommates.鈥</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/UofT%20596.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Varsity Blues swimmer&nbsp;Kylie Masse says she鈥檚 so far&nbsp;taken part in online cardio dance party and barre classes&nbsp;(photo by Thomas Bollmann/Seed 9)</em><br> &nbsp;</p> <p>The live workouts and classes include meditation sessions to improve concentration and alleviate stress. Students can also get tips on quick, high-intensity workouts by watching&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moveu.ca/moveuanywhere">MoveU Anywhere! workout videos</a>.&nbsp;<br> <br> 鈥淲e developed the MoveU Anywhere! videos last summer after hearing some students say that they don鈥檛 have time to work out,鈥 says <strong>Kay Dawkins</strong>, manager of physical activity at Sports &amp; Rec.</p> <p>The videos were shot in dorms on the St. George campus and were originally intended to promote physical activity and a healthy active lifestyle among students in residence, but Dawkins says anyone can benefit.&nbsp;<br> <br> 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important in these unusual times for people to continue to do normal things and exercise is hopefully a part of that,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Adrian Lightowler</strong>, manager of fitness and performance programs at Sport &amp; Rec.<br> <br> Lightowler says you can get the same benefits from working out indoors as you would outdoors;&nbsp;it just requires a bit more creativity. The online workouts require no special equipment. All participants need to do is pick a class that fits their schedule and join through Instagram or Zoom. For those who can't make the livestream, the sessions are being recorded and added to YouTube archive.<br> <br> 鈥淕ym regulars are going to get a great workout out of these classes, but for those who don鈥檛 go to the gym regularly or ever, this is an amazing opportunity to try something they maybe didn鈥檛 have the confidence to try before in the comfort of their own homes,鈥 says Lightowler.&nbsp;<br> <br> Each session has two coaches, with one providing instructions and the other demonstrating the exercises. The exercises are modifiable, which means individuals of all levels of fitness and skills can participate.&nbsp;<br> <br> 鈥淭he coaches are trained to offer alternatives, but what really sets them apart is the research from 老司机直播鈥檚 Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education, which is embedded in our coaching and staff development. We鈥檙e not just trying to make people tired. We want to give them the skills to enjoy a workout, but also teach them how to be physically active for life,鈥 Lightowler says.</p> <p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s8OQfwhUmOM" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Vasily Grigorovsky</strong>, a sixth year PhD student in biomechanical engineering at 老司机直播, was a regular in the Squad Training and Big HIIT classes when they were offered on campus. When they moved online, he kept at it.&nbsp;<br> <br> 鈥淚 find that they actually get me to work out. Sometimes it鈥檚 hard to motivate myself to do it on my own, but if a live class is starting at 10 a.m. or 12 p.m., you just have to be ready. I like that there are multiple time slots, so if I can鈥檛 make a morning class, I can still schedule in a workout,鈥 he says.<br> <br> Grigorovsky says he likes that there are two coaches involved in each class.<br> <br> 鈥淭he interaction makes it more fun for everyone and it鈥檚 easier to see different variations of the exercises. I think that is especially important when you are doing the exercises at home with limited or no equipment. The coaches do a great job of providing a wide range of alternatives, from using a backpack to lifting a couch.鈥<br> <br> So far, he鈥檚 been joining the classes through Instagram, but is looking forward to trying them on Zoom, which allows for direct feedback from coaches.&nbsp;<br> <br> 鈥淎fter not really working out since mid-March, doing a few of these online classes brings back the feeling of satisfaction about doing some physical activity at a time when we are all mostly just sitting at home,鈥 he says.&nbsp;<br> <br> And while it鈥檚 not a complete replacement for a gym workout, he says it comes close.<br> <br> 鈥淭hese classes definitely make me sweat. The exercises can be as difficult as you make them and the coaches provide the same great coaching as before. Once the class gets going, I find that I am as focused on just exercising and not thinking about work, for example, as I would have been at the gym. Most of the classes also feature a bit of mobility and stretching, which is great during this stay-at-home time.<br> <br> 鈥淏ut, having fun and interacting with other people is equally important now that we feel less connected and more isolated and it鈥檚 a great way to counteract all the negative feelings associated with this continuing pandemic,鈥 he says.<br> <br> Lightowler agrees.<br> <br> 鈥淔or people who are already part of our community, who are already familiar with our facilities, who know our staff and see them around, there is great value to keeping those connections going,鈥 he says, adding the coaches also thrive on staying in touch with the participants.<br> <br> 鈥淢ost coaches don鈥檛 go into this business because they like to be on their own. There鈥檚 a type of person that loves connecting with people and a lot of us are missing that connection right now. Our coaches are so happy to be able to connect with students and other members of our community online. They鈥檙e getting a lot of satisfaction out of being able to help people through this time.鈥</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/April2020_FitnessSchedule.png" alt></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 14 Apr 2020 19:16:20 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 164090 at The making of a champion: 老司机直播's Kylie Masse sets her sights on Tokyo 2020 /news/making-champion-u-t-s-kylie-masse-sets-her-sights-tokyo-2020 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">The making of a champion: 老司机直播's Kylie Masse sets her sights on Tokyo 2020 </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0119_Masse008.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zGzKMRCt 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/0119_Masse008.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6lA1qGnT 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/0119_Masse008.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5-8MTAta 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/0119_Masse008.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zGzKMRCt" alt="Portrait of Kylie Masse practicing at 老司机直播"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-09-10T10:16:30-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 10, 2019 - 10:16" class="datetime">Tue, 09/10/2019 - 10:16</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Kylie Masse came to 老司机直播 ranked 201st in the 100-metre backstroke, now her best event, and went on to clinch an Olympic bronze medal and set a world record with consistency that's "beyond compare" (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/athletic-centre" hreflang="en">Athletic Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-kinesiology-physical-education" hreflang="en">Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kylie-masse" hreflang="en">Kylie Masse</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/olympics" hreflang="en">Olympics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/swimming" hreflang="en">Swimming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/varsity-0" hreflang="en">Varsity</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Wearing tinted goggles, a black Speedo suit and faux pearl earrings,<strong> Kylie Masse</strong> takes her starting position on the block as cheers echo throughout the University of Toronto鈥檚 cavernous Athletic Centre.&nbsp;</p> <p>Three, two, one. Masse moves reflexively, like a machine getting into gear. She dives, resurfaces and surges forward into her lane for the 200-metre butterfly. 鈥淭ORONTO鈥 is spelled out in block letters under the pool鈥檚 surface.</p> <p>Having reached her fifth and final year of varsity eligibility this past season, the home meet against Western University earlier this year would be one of Masse鈥檚 last at the university. Over that period, Masse&nbsp;went from relative obscurity to winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and capturing a world record in the 100-metre backstroke.</p> <p>鈥淲inning the bronze, I never thought that was even possible,鈥 Masse tells <em>老司机直播 News</em>. 鈥淚 never imagined myself on the [Olympic] podium that early on in my career 鈥 It really showed me what I was capable of and how much more I could still do.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Now, Masse has her sights on the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she鈥檚 looking to reach the podium once again. She's already begun preparing in earnest&nbsp;鈥 only this time around she鈥檚 facing the heightened expectations&nbsp;that come with being a veteran of the sport. If that weren't enough, she鈥檚&nbsp;also wrapping up her 老司机直播 degree in kinesiology, with an eye to pursuing a career in health care after graduation.</p> <p>Fortunately, Masse is better suited than most to handle the pressure.</p> <p><strong>Byron MacDonald</strong>, 老司机直播鈥檚 varsity swim coach, has seen other 老司机直播 athletes reach the Olympics in his 42 years with the team. But he says Masse鈥檚 steady, low-key approach has yielded results that are rare in an unpredictable sport where the line between success and failure is measured in hundredths of a second.</p> <p>鈥淭he fact that this girl gets to the top of the podium, let alone the podium, almost every single time she races 鈥 the consistency she shows is beyond compare.鈥</p> <p>Masse鈥檚 relentless ways were on full display this summer in Gwangju, South Korea, where she defended her world title in the 100-metre backstroke 鈥 her best event 鈥 against the world鈥檚 top swimmers, including Olivia Smoliga, the American record-holder in the 50-metre backstroke, and Kathleen Baker, the Salem, N.C.-born swimmer who robbed Masse of her world record last year.</p> <p>With the swimming world watching, Masse again exploded off her block and kept pace with the leaders.&nbsp;Only an arm鈥檚 length separated the leading swimmers as they came within touching distance to the wall. The commentator spoke in broken rhythm.&nbsp;鈥淢asse in front,鈥 he said. 鈥淪moliga, Smoliga has responded鈥 Smoliga, Masse, it鈥檚 going to be tight鈥 who gets there? Masse gets there!鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Yet, despite the gutsy performance in South Korea, Masse needs no reminding of how quickly fortunes can change in swimming. And with Tokyo 2020 fast approaching, even tougher tests lie ahead. Not only does Masse now swim with a target painted on&nbsp;her V-shaped frame, she must increasingly cope with a new crop of hungry, young competitors&nbsp;looking to make a&nbsp;big splash on the world stage 鈥 just as Masse herself once did.</p> <p><img data-delta="8" data-fid="11889" data-media-element="1" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/GettyImages-1157356115-crop.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p>Kylie Masse (centre) poses with her gold medal at the&nbsp;<em>2019 World Championships&nbsp;in Gwangju, South Korea in July.&nbsp;New Zealand's Erika Jane Fairweather (left) took silver, while U.S. swimmer&nbsp;&nbsp;Olivia Smoliga captured bronze (photo by&nbsp;Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)</em></p> <h4>Humble beginnings</h4> <p>Raised in LaSalle, Ont., Masse can鈥檛 remember when she first started swimming. It was probably around age three. She says she was 鈥渁 little bit of a klutz鈥 and 鈥渘ot exactly anyone鈥檚 prediction of an Olympian.鈥&nbsp;Although she comes from an active family, she says school was just as important.</p> <p>鈥淚t was all about balance,鈥 Masse says. 鈥淪port was a huge thing, but so was school and there was an equal amount of hard work dedicated to both.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>From ages eight to 18, Masse swam with the Windsor Essex Swim Team. Her former coach, Andrei Semenov, says Masse didn鈥檛 have a competitive swimmer鈥檚 build when she was younger.&nbsp;鈥淪he was tiny, tiny, tiny,鈥 Semenov says, adding Masse stood below many of her teammates鈥 shoulders.</p> <p>But what Masse lacked physically, she more than made up for with leadership and attitude.</p> <p>鈥淪he always swam for the team,鈥 Semenov says, 鈥渘ot just for Kylie Masse.鈥</p> <p>Prior to university, Masse ranked 201<sup>st</sup> in the world in the 100-metre backstroke, which would later become her signature event. Though it was still early days, Masse showed enough promise in her high school years to appear on the radar of varsity scouts in both Canada and the United States.</p> <p><img data-delta="12" data-fid="11894" data-media-element="1" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/TC2006019-crop_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Kylie Masse (centre) learned the fundamentals of the sport on the Windsor Essex Swim Team when she was young. 鈥淪he was tiny, tiny, tiny,鈥 says her then-coach Andrei Semenov (photo courtesy of Andrei Semenov)</em></p> <p>Masse had already been weighing offers from several schools when MacDonald, the 老司机直播 swim coach, came calling. But between high school classes, swimming practice and recruitment trips, Masse wasn鈥檛 sure she had time for yet another campus tour. But MacDonald persisted, asking her to come and train with the team on one of the only free days in her calendar: a Thanksgiving Monday.</p> <p>Joined by another swimming prospect from Quebec, Masse arrived at 老司机直播 to find a closed campus and a deserted pool 鈥 hardly ideal circumstances for a winning sales pitch. So, MacDonald improvised and invited the two swimmers to his family鈥檚 home for a turkey dinner.</p> <p>鈥淚 did feel kind of bad actually,鈥 Masse recalls, 鈥渂ut it was super special that he brought us to his house.鈥</p> <p>The meeting clearly left an impression, though it probably weighed less heavily in Masse鈥檚 ultimate decision than the range of resources offered at Canada鈥檚 largest university and the school鈥檚 location 鈥 less than a day鈥檚 drive away from Masse鈥檚 hometown.</p> <p>鈥淚 came here and just felt that I would be able to achieve my goals and dreams,鈥 she recalls.&nbsp;</p> <p>Masse鈥檚 path to the Olympic Games was far from linear. She suffered a devastating disappointment in her second year at 老司机直播 when she failed to qualify for the Pan American Games in Toronto. Masse went into the last leg of trials as the top seed, but soon lost her focus.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 just got caught up in the race, thinking about what else was happening, or what could happen or what couldn鈥檛 happen if I didn鈥檛 make the team,鈥 she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚t definitely was kind of a wake-up call and that鈥檚 been part of the journey.鈥</p> <p>Such early setbacks can sometimes derail an athlete鈥檚 career. But Masse bounced back. Just a few months later at the 2016 International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea, she swam the 100-metre backstroke in what was then a personal best time of 59.97 seconds, clinching the gold medal and coming in just 14 hundredths of a second off the record for that competition.</p> <p>The swimming community suddenly took notice of the new 19-year-old on the block; Brittany MacLean, a Team Canada freestyle swimmer, even congratulated Masse on Twitter.</p> <p>鈥淚 was so in awe that [MacLean] knew who I was or saw the result,鈥 Masse says. 鈥淭hat kind of got me thinking, 鈥業f I keep working, maybe this could be my event.鈥欌&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt data-delta="2" data-fid="11864" data-media-element="1" height="610" src="/sites/default/files/brittany%20maclean%20tweet.JPG" typeof="foaf:Image" width="528" loading="lazy"></p> <p>Masse鈥檚 老司机直播 varsity teammate&nbsp;<strong>Eli Wall</strong>&nbsp;says her success at those games opened people鈥檚 eyes to her potential.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淪he herself and everyone else realized that she was the real deal,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 mean, she was virtually nowhere on the world stage the year before that, and she went on to win a gold medal at these big international university games.</p> <p>鈥淭hat gave her a lot of momentum going into Rio.鈥</p> <p>Masse would not disappoint.</p> <h4>A winning bet</h4> <p>Masse had more on the line than just a medal in Brazil.&nbsp;She and her coaches made a deal after she had reached the final: If she could top MacDonald鈥檚 sixth-place finish at the 1972 Games in Munich, she would get a pair of tickets to see hip-hop superstar Drake in Toronto.</p> <p>鈥淭hat was our little running joke,鈥 Masse says.&nbsp;</p> <p>On finals day, MacDonald watched from the press box above the bleachers, where he was commentating for CBC. <strong>Linda Kiefer</strong>, the assistant head coach of the Varsity Blues swim team,&nbsp;had a poolside view of the action as one of Team Canada鈥檚 coaches.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the race鈥檚 halfway mark, Masse turned and touched the wall after the three leaders, making her a longshot for the podium. But she accelerated in the final stretch and touched the wall alongside China鈥檚 Fu Yuanhui, sharing third place in a photo finish.&nbsp;</p> <p><img data-delta="13" data-fid="11895" data-media-element="1" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/GettyImages-587477346-crop.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Kylie Masse of Canada celebrates third place in the women's 100-metre backstroke at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (photo by Ian MacNicol via Getty Images)</em></p> <p>鈥淧ost-race I was inundated with interviews,鈥 Masse later wrote in a personal essay for CBC. 鈥淭here were questions about the sport itself, questions that I had never really put into words before.鈥</p> <p>Her coaches, meanwhile, made good on their bet. Masse went to see Drake at the Air Canada Centre in the fall with her friend Penny Oleksiak, who, at 17, became Canada鈥檚 youngest Olympic champion with a break-out performance and&nbsp;five-medal haul.&nbsp;</p> <p>But neither the Olympic medal nor what followed 鈥 the TV interviews and Speedo sponsorship 鈥 appear to have gone to Masse鈥檚 head. Instead of displaying her bronze medal, Masse keeps it tucked away in her sock drawer.</p> <p>Her coaches say that鈥檚 par for the course for Masse, who doesn鈥檛 like to draw much attention to herself or boast of her achievements. Asked for an anecdote that reveals something of Masse鈥檚 personality, Kiefer tells the story of when she encouraged Masse to introduce herself to Gregorio Paltrinieri, an Italian distance freestyle champion. Masse balked, reasoning&nbsp;that he wouldn鈥檛 know who she was 鈥 after all, he鈥檚 an Olympian.</p> <p>鈥淪o are you,鈥 Kiefer reminded her.&nbsp;</p> <h4>Swimming, school and superstition</h4> <p>It can be difficult for 老司机直播 students to keep their head above water 鈥 never mind juggling up to nine swimming practices per week, three gym sessions, two physiotherapy appointments, out-of-town tournaments and media requests.&nbsp;</p> <p>A typical day for Masse begins around 5:30 a.m. and finishes at 9:30 p.m, homework permitting. When she鈥檚 not swimming, she鈥檚 doing what most other students do: studying for finals and racing across campus to get to her elective, an introductory Spanish class. While she鈥檚 had her share of late nights hitting the books, Masse can claim at least one victory beyond the pool: She鈥檚 managed to avoid pulling an all-nighter in Robarts library.</p> <p>Of course, being an Olympian comes with a few perks, particularly if you鈥檙e a kinesiology student like Masse. In one class on the Olympics and Paralympics 鈥 focusing on their achievements, prospects, problems 鈥 Masse and her peers were told to write a profile of an Olympian. So, Masse began her research by firing off a text message to Oleksiak and ended up with an A-plus.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt data-delta="9" data-fid="11890" data-media-element="1" height="1093" src="/sites/default/files/kylie-UC.JPG" typeof="foaf:Image" width="833" loading="lazy"></p> <p>Varsity swim coaches MacDonald and Kiefer know how hard it can be for swimmers to balance the demands of the sport with school and everything else life throws at them. Their coaching partnership has lasted almost three decades, longer than many marriages. Somewhere along the line they developed a key insight: a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer.</p> <p>Masse, in particular, is so naturally upbeat that her coaches know there鈥檚 something amiss if she turns up for practice without a smile.&nbsp;鈥淚f you鈥檝e ever watched her, she has fun,鈥 Kiefer says. 鈥淚f she comes on deck and she鈥檚 not dancing or bopping or singing, it鈥檚 like 鈥楿h oh.鈥欌&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt data-delta="7" data-fid="11875" data-media-element="1" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/0119_Masse012.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Masse (centre) in one of her last home&nbsp;meets with 老司机直播's varsity team&nbsp;against Western University (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>Kiefer pays attention to every detail about her swimmers, even if they might seem trivial. After she noticed Masse wearing faux pearl earrings to races, she assumed they were good luck charms and kept a back-up pair in case Masse鈥檚 jewelry ever went missing at an inopportune time.&nbsp;After all, superstition comes in many shapes and sizes in swimming. Michael Phelps reportedly swings his arms on the starting block the same way before each race. Another American Olympic medalist, Mel Stewart, told <em>Swim World Magazine</em> that he sticks to the same menu before each meet: green tea and spaghetti with red sauce.</p> <p>But, as it turned out, Masse simply wore the earrings because she liked how they look 鈥 although she鈥檚 been wearing them less frequently lately because she doesn鈥檛 want them to get stuck in her cap during a race or lose them in the water.</p> <p>Still, Kiefer says she keeps a surplus of faux pearl earrings on hand 鈥 鈥渏ust in case.鈥</p> <h4>Hungry for more</h4> <p>At just 21 years old, Masse was already on top of the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>At the world aquatic championships in Budapest, she made history by swimming the 100-metre backstroke in 58.10, snapping a world record that had stood for eight years.&nbsp;</p> <p>Her immediate reaction was disbelief. 鈥淚 touched the wall and looked back and had to make sure I was looking at the right name and the right time,鈥 she told reporters in a conference call after the race.</p> <p>鈥淚 was just super excited. In the moment I don't even know what I was thinking but excitement and joy."&nbsp;</p> <p>Her status as world-record holder was relatively short-lived. Just 368 days later, Team USA鈥檚 Kathleen Baker 鈥 the same swimmer who edged Masse for silver at Rio in 2016 鈥 smashed Masse鈥檚 record with a time of 58 seconds flat at the American national championships. To add insult to injury, Baker captured the record in an outdoor pool, where times are thought to be slower.&nbsp;鈥淚 watched a lot of Shark Week,鈥 Baker later said in a news release, 鈥渟o I was channeling my inner shark there.鈥</p> <p>MacDonald said it was a tough summer for Masse, who, in a short time, went from unlikely challenger to defending champion. She had 鈥渁 bull鈥檚 eye on her back as the world-record holder,鈥 her coach says.</p> <p>Whereas Masse once raced in the pool鈥檚 outer lanes, reserved for the lower seeds, now she swims in the middle lanes side-by-side with the world鈥檚 best 鈥 and where everyone is watching. Yet, unlike the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, where she lost focus and failed to qualify, Masse no longer crumbles under pressure.</p> <p>Masse was following the American championships 鈥 and Baker鈥檚 鈥渋nner shark鈥 performance 鈥 from Japan, where she was at a staging camp for the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.</p> <p>鈥淥bviously I was a bit disappointed,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淏ut I think it just gave me more motivation and lit a fire under me, like, 鈥業 want it back.鈥欌</p> <p>Barely a week after losing her record, she faced her and the Australian heavyweight Emily Seebohm at the Pan Pacific Games in Tokyo. She held off Baker and swept past Seebohm with powerful strokes in the dying seconds, one of Masse鈥檚 signature strengths.</p> <p><img alt=" Kylie Massea is congratulated after winning the gold medal by silver medalist Emily Seebohm" data-delta="14" data-fid="11896" data-media-element="1" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/GettyImages-1014430596-crop.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Kylie Masse (right) is congratulated by Australia鈥檚&nbsp;Emily Seebohm&nbsp;after winning the gold medal&nbsp;the women's 200-metre backstroke&nbsp;at the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Tokyo, Japan&nbsp;(photo by Kiyoshi Ota via Getty Images)</em></p> <p>In hindsight, MacDonald says that losing her record may have ended up being a blessing in disguise for Masse as she prepares for the 2020 Tokyo Games.</p> <p>鈥淣ow she鈥檚 hungry,鈥 he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Back on campus, Masse handily wins the 200-metre butterfly at the meet against Western, finishing well ahead of the runner up. While such meets are comparatively low stakes, it鈥檚 impossible to tell 鈥 for a casual observer at least 鈥 whether Masse is making a distinction once she鈥檚 zooming through the water.</p> <p>What is clear is that Masse鈥檚 preparations for Tokyo 2020 have begun in earnest. She is taking just one or two courses at 老司机直播 this year to save her energy and has signed on to a new international swimming league, which aims to give the world鈥檚 top swimmers new opportunities outside of the Olympics and other regional and international championships.</p> <p>When asked if the upcoming Games could be her last, Masse 鈥 perhaps not surprisingly 鈥 shows little interest in engaging in such introspection when there鈥檚 work to be done.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檓 focusing on the now and I鈥檓 going to think about that later,鈥 she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to swim for as long as I enjoy it.鈥</p> <p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cWe6g6MJacQ" width="750"></iframe></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 10 Sep 2019 14:16:30 +0000 geoff.vendeville 157942 at CBC Sports' Scott Russell says 老司机直播 swimmer Kylie Masse is a proud product of Canadian universities /news/cbc-sports-scott-russell-says-u-t-swimmer-kylie-masse-proud-product-canadian-universities <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">CBC Sports' Scott Russell says 老司机直播 swimmer Kylie Masse is a proud product of Canadian universities</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-07-25-masse.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vhAOOM7m 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-07-25-masse.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=dE1ivIQR 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-07-25-masse.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=NBpiEUub 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-07-25-masse.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vhAOOM7m" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-07-28T12:46:58-04:00" title="Friday, July 28, 2017 - 12:46" class="datetime">Fri, 07/28/2017 - 12:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Backstroke world champion Kylie Masse is a proud product of the Canadian university system, says CBC's Scott Russell (photo by Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kpe" hreflang="en">KPE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/varsity-blues" hreflang="en">Varsity Blues</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/swimming" hreflang="en">Swimming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/bruce-kidd" hreflang="en">Bruce Kidd</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kylie-masse" hreflang="en">Kylie Masse</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canadian sports veteran&nbsp;Scott Russell writes that <strong>Kylie Masse</strong>'s world record&nbsp;shows Canadian schools can still produce champions.</p> <p>鈥淢asse studies kinesiology full-time at the University of Toronto and is an award-winning athlete not only because of what she does in the pool with her collegiate squad, the Varsity Blues, but also because of her commitment to sportsmanship and the leadership qualities she possesses,鈥 he writes at <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/aquatics/kylie-masse-canadian-student-athlete-1.4225344">CBC Sports</a>.</p> <p>Russell goes on to talk about challenges with&nbsp;Canada's top high-performance athletes heading south of the border for at least part of their training because the U.S. collegiate&nbsp;sports&nbsp;scholarship system offers significant funding. A system like that does not exist in Canada, he says.</p> <p>鈥淏ut Masse is a clear indicator that Canadian university sport is still fertile ground for nurturing champions,鈥 he adds.</p> <p>Russell quotes Masse's coach&nbsp;<strong>Byron MacDonald</strong>, who heads up the 老司机直播&nbsp;swimming team.</p> <p>鈥淪he remained in Canada for university and made her giant strides on the world stage because of the swim program at the University of Toronto,鈥 MacDonald states in the piece. 鈥淲hile receiving less glamour than their NCAA counterparts, the Canadian university swim program constantly produces top athletes.鈥</p> <p>Coach&nbsp;<strong>Linda Kiefer</strong> adds that swimmers like Masse&nbsp;are 鈥渟howing that you can combine full-time academics and swimming at this level.鈥</p> <p>And Olympian&nbsp;<strong>Bruce Kidd</strong>, vice-president, principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough, believes Masse's win 鈥渇ortifies the place of the student-athlete in Canadian university sport.鈥</p> <p>鈥淚t's a tribute to her remarkable personal qualities, her coaches at 老司机直播 and the Canadian Sports Centre Ontario,鈥 Kidd says in the article. 鈥淜ylie is just another one who proves that you can attend and benefit from an outstanding academic program in one of the best universities in the world, while pursuing your athletic dreams&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;all right here in Canada.鈥</p> <h3><a href="/news/kylie-masse-takes-gold-sets-new-world-record-world-swimming-championships">Read more about Masse's record-breaking performance</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 28 Jul 2017 16:46:58 +0000 ullahnor 111007 at Kylie Masse takes gold, sets new world record at world swimming championships /news/kylie-masse-takes-gold-sets-new-world-record-world-swimming-championships <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Kylie Masse takes gold, sets new world record at world swimming championships</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-07-25-kylie-medal.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=D2U7MMVn 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-07-25-kylie-medal.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=taO5nYqK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-07-25-kylie-medal.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6sFjoIix 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-07-25-kylie-medal.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=D2U7MMVn" alt="photo of Masse with gold medal"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-07-25T12:58:14-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 25, 2017 - 12:58" class="datetime">Tue, 07/25/2017 - 12:58</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">老司机直播's Kylie Masse took the gold and set a new world record in the 100-metre backstroke in Budapest (photo courtesy Swimming Canada)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jelena-damjanovic" hreflang="en">Jelena Damjanovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Jelena Damjanovic &amp; Geoffrey Vendeville </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kpe" hreflang="en">KPE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kylie-masse" hreflang="en">Kylie Masse</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/swimming" hreflang="en">Swimming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/varsity-blues" hreflang="en">Varsity Blues</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The first female Canadian swimmer to win a world title</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Kylie Masse</strong>, the star of 老司机直播鈥檚 Varsity Blues women鈥檚 swimming team, set a new world record and took the gold in the 100-metre backstroke at the swimming world championships in Budapest on Tuesday.</p> <p>She finished with a time of 58.10 seconds and became the first-ever female Canadian swimmer to win a world title, <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/aquatics/swimming-world-championships-kylie-masse-1.4220728">CBC reported</a>.&nbsp;With this win, Masse broke the longest-standing record in women's swimming set by Great Britain鈥檚 Gemma Spofforth&nbsp;in July 2009, and became the first Canadian to win a world title since Brent Hayden claimed gold in the men's 100 freestyle in 2007.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 don't' think it's really sunk in yet,鈥&nbsp;said Masse after the race. 鈥淚 touched the wall and I looked back and I had to make sure I was looking at the right lane and right time, I was so excited.</p> <p>鈥淎fter the Olympics, I realized that I belong in the final and I belong on the podium. That all comes with confidence and this entire year I felt better about my racing, which helps leading up to a championship.鈥</p> <p>On CBC's <em>The National</em>, host Paul Hunter&nbsp;said Masse was now 鈥渒nown to the entire sports world,鈥 after what he described as a&nbsp;鈥渏aw-dropping effort鈥&nbsp;鈥 and sports commentator Scott Russell called Masse's record a victory for the Canadian university sports system.</p> <p>鈥淪he鈥檚 an academic, award-winning athlete and she combines her studies along with athletics and she does it at a Canadian university,鈥 he said.&nbsp;鈥淭hat looks really good on this country and on Kylie Masse鈥檚 future going forward.鈥</p> <h3><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/aquatics/swimming-world-championships-kylie-masse-1.4220728?cmp=rss">Read CBC News story</a></h3> <p>Head coach of the Varsity Blues swimming program and former Olympian <strong>Byron MacDonald </strong>said he was very proud of Masse.</p> <p>鈥淭he magnitude of what Kylie has been able to accomplish in a relative short period of time is amazing. She just broke the oldest female world record on the books. She is the world champion,鈥 he said.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淜ylie is the perfect example of a student athlete excelling in the classroom and her sport. An incredibly humble young woman, she is going to find it harder and harder to stay under the radar with performances like this.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Masse said MacDonald and coach Linda Kiefer&nbsp;told her to enjoy the experience now that the hard work of training was over.</p> <p>鈥淢ost importantly, from both of them, they just said have fun,鈥 she told the <em>National Post</em>. 鈥淎ll the training that I鈥檝e done is behind me, this is the fun part and this is the best part, just racing. Having fun, I think that鈥檚 the most important as well.鈥</p> <h3><a href="http://nationalpost.com/sports/olympics/canadian-kylie-masse-breaks-world-record-to-claim-100-metre-backstroke-gold-at-world-championships/wcm/5d2c0809-1d4f-4a0f-8be1-48436d5d2668">Read <em>National Post</em> story</a></h3> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">MEDAL ALERT | Kylie Masse sets a new world record in the 100m backstroke, winning gold at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FINABudapest2017?src=hash">#FINABudapest2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/23V6h5Xe2S">https://t.co/23V6h5Xe2S</a> <a href="https://t.co/vimQHSItO0">pic.twitter.com/vimQHSItO0</a></p> 鈥 CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCOlympics/status/889884784037511169">July 25, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>The 21-year-old from LaSalle, Ont., shared the story of how she came to 老司机直播 in a first-person article for CBC ahead of her record-breaking swim. Now in her fourth year of&nbsp;undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education, she came to U of&nbsp;T ranked 201<sup>st</sup> in the world in the 100-metre backstroke.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淟ittle did I know that this decision would change the direction of my story,鈥 she writes.</p> <p>鈥淢y coaches <strong>Byron MacDonald</strong> and<strong> Linda Kiefer</strong> set out a plan. I went to a high-altitude training camp, planned my meets, school, swimming, dry land and physio appointments, all with the end goal of making the Olympic team鈥&nbsp;had done it. I had made the Olympic team, but I hadn鈥檛 done it alone. Coaches, teammates, support personnel at the University, professors, classmates, friends and family, all contributed to where I was that day. I will always be grateful for all the support.鈥</p> <h3><a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/2017/07/25/canadas-kylie-masse-blazes-way-to-100-metre-backstroke-world-record.html">Read <em>Toronto Star</em> story</a></h3> <p>News about Masse鈥檚 win reached 老司机直播&nbsp;just as the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Eleanor McMahon, was making an announcement at 老司机直播's Varsity Stadium about Advancing Opportunities for Women and Girls in Sport: Ontario's Action Plan.</p> <p>鈥淗ow apropos, how timely it is to demonstrate that investment of resources through this insightful government announcement can lead to inspiring performances and role models, such as Kylie Masse, who will be recognized around the world,鈥 said Professor<strong> Ira Jacobs</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp;&nbsp;Physical Education.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2017/07/25/canadian-swimmer-masse-sets-100-metre-backstroke-record-at-world-championships">Read <em>Toronto Sun</em></a></h3> <p>Masse has made one of the fastest ascents in the world of swimming, winning the bronze medal in the 100-metre back race at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro&nbsp;only a couple of years after being ranked 200th in high school. She's the first Varsity Blues swimmer to claim an Olympic medal while enrolled as a student at 老司机直播.&nbsp;</p> <p>MacDonald thanked 老司机直播 for the support they provided Kylie that helped get her to this point.</p> <p>鈥淲e have a good stable of sports professionals, from <strong>Alanna Veerman</strong>, a full time strength coach, <strong>Jason Meehan</strong> as physiotherapist, her academic advisers and teammates at the university,鈥 he said. 鈥淜ylie is the epitome of the student athlete at 老司机直播.鈥</p> <h3><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/playersvoice/entry/kylie-masse-the-day-bronze-became-gold">Read Masse's first-person article</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 25 Jul 2017 16:58:14 +0000 geoff.vendeville 110805 at 老司机直播's Kylie Masse now ranks number one in world for two swimming events /news/u-t-s-kylie-masse-now-ranks-number-one-world-two-swimming-events <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播's Kylie Masse now ranks number one in world for two swimming events</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-04-10-masse1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=j_K7yhox 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-04-10-masse1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ixR7OLZM 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-04-10-masse1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=r8oqNWoj 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-04-10-masse1.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=j_K7yhox" alt="photo of Kylie Masse"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lanthierj</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-04-10T11:20:39-04:00" title="Monday, April 10, 2017 - 11:20" class="datetime">Mon, 04/10/2017 - 11:20</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(all photos by Martin Bazyl)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/varsity-blues-athletics" hreflang="en">Varsity Blues Athletics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Varsity Blues</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sports" hreflang="en">Sports</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kpe" hreflang="en">KPE</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kylie-masse" hreflang="en">Kylie Masse</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/swimming" hreflang="en">Swimming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergrad" hreflang="en">Undergrad</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's swimming star <strong>Kylie Masse</strong>&nbsp;crushed it at the Team Canada Trials, sweeping the competition in the 50-metre, 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke in Victoria, B.C.<br> &nbsp;<br> Masse overtook the 200-metre Olympic bronze medalist Hilary Caldwell in the final few metres to win in 2:07.23 on April 8. Caldwell was just .06 behind.</p> <p>They were the two fastest times at that distance this season 鈥 and well under the FINA time to qualify for this summer's world championships in Budapest.</p> <p><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/aquatics/canadian-swim-trials-oleksiak-masse-caldwell-1.4062745"><u>See the CBC story</u></a><br> &nbsp;<br> 鈥淚t's incredible,鈥&nbsp;said Masse, who is in her third year of undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education. 鈥淪he's someone I've looked up to in the backstroke for a long time now. It's really cool to be racing side-by-side with her.鈥</p> <p><u><a href="/news/u-t-s-kylie-masse-wins-bronze-women-s-100-metre-backstroke-rio">Read more about Masse</a></u></p> <p>On April 6, Masse had also posted the third-fastest time ever recorded in the 100m backstroke: 58:21 seconds. It was the fastest time ever recorded anywhere in the world by a swimmer in a textile suit in this event.</p> <p>The 100m backstroke was her bronze medal event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.</p> <p>鈥淜ylie is an amazing athlete,鈥&nbsp;said Varsity Blues head coach <strong>Byron MacDonald</strong>. 鈥淪ometimes people don't realize the rarified level that this woman has attained.&nbsp;Only one other person has ever swum as fast as Kylie in the 100 back.&nbsp;This time today would have won the gold medal at last year's Olympics.&nbsp;She continues to improve at a staggering rate.<br> &nbsp;<br> 鈥淜ylie is 100 per cent a product of university sport in Canada,鈥&nbsp;continued MacDonald. 鈥淪he was ranked 200th in the world in high school and has moved up 200 spots. She is incredible.鈥</p> <p>She added a 2017 world best to win the 50 on Friday&nbsp;and completed the backstroke sweep on Saturday.<br> &nbsp;<br> 鈥淚 can't remember the last time Canada had a swimmer ranked number one in the world in two events,鈥&nbsp;MacDonald<strong> </strong>said. 鈥淜ylie is something special. Part of her success is due to the performance team we have put in place around her. On top of two world class coaches, we have top medical support , academic guidance, a full-time strength trainer and a great set of teammates.<br> &nbsp;<br> "That last category is important,鈥 MacDonald said. 鈥淎s Kylie says, 'a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer,' and Kylie is very happy at the University of Toronto.鈥</p> <p><u><a href="https://twitter.com/Kjmasse">Follow Masse on Twitter</a></u></p> <p><img alt="photo of Masse at pool" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4188 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2017-04-10Masse-2-resized.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><em>With files from Swimming Canada</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 10 Apr 2017 15:20:39 +0000 lanthierj 106686 at 老司机直播's Kylie Masse wins a bronze in the women's 100-metre backstroke in Rio /news/u-t-s-kylie-masse-wins-bronze-women-s-100-metre-backstroke-rio <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播's Kylie Masse wins a bronze in the women's 100-metre backstroke in Rio</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2016-08-09-masse-pool-1140x760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=oWnv8caq 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2016-08-09-masse-pool-1140x760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TIFD-FRQ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2016-08-09-masse-pool-1140x760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ld5rys3z 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2016-08-09-masse-pool-1140x760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=oWnv8caq" alt="photo of Masse in pool immediately after her bronze race"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>krisha</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-08-09T10:15:07-04:00" title="Tuesday, August 9, 2016 - 10:15" class="datetime">Tue, 08/09/2016 - 10:15</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Kylie Masse celebrates third place in the Women's 100m Backstroke on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jelena-damjanovic" hreflang="en">Jelena Damjanovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Jelena Damjanovic </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/olympics" hreflang="en">Olympics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kylie-masse" hreflang="en">Kylie Masse</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sports" hreflang="en">Sports</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/swimming" hreflang="en">Swimming</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kpe" hreflang="en">KPE</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Varsity Blues swimmer <strong>Kylie Masse</strong> tied for a bronze medal in the women's 100-metre backstroke race in Rio 鈥 Canada's&nbsp;fourth medal of these Olympic Games.</p> <p>The University of Toronto undergrad&nbsp;made a Canadian record time of 58.76 seconds, coming in only .01 second behind the silver medallist.&nbsp;</p> <p>Masse was ranked 200th in the world only a couple of years ago, but managed to climb 190 spots just over last year. En route, she broke six national records, earned a gold medal at the Summer Universiade in South Korea and qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淗er stunning improvement over the past two years is due to hard work on her part, but also to the team of professionals that we have been able to surround her with,鈥 said <strong>Byron MacDonald</strong>, head coach of the Varsity Blues swimming program and a former Olympian.&nbsp;</p> <p>Working in tandem with assistant coach <strong>Linda Kiefer</strong> to drive the agenda daily, MacDonald said&nbsp;people like athletic therapist <strong>Jason Meehan</strong>, Masse鈥檚 academic advisors, her strong family support and teammates all contribute to her success.</p> <p>鈥淜ylie has that wonderful combination of talent, drive and dedication to go along with a sunny disposition that makes her a joy to coach,鈥 MacDonald said.</p> <p>MacDonald spoke&nbsp;from Rio where he is serving dual roles: he's&nbsp;Masse鈥檚 coach and a CBC swim news commentator.</p> <p>In a poolside interview with CBC's David Amber just&nbsp;minutes after her race, Masse praised MacDonald.</p> <p>鈥淗e's a great coach,鈥 Masse said.&nbsp;鈥淏yron&nbsp;and Linda run an amazing program at 老司机直播 and I'm&nbsp;super-grateful to be a part of that.鈥&nbsp;</p> <h2><a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/rio-2016/kylie-masse-swims-to-surprise-bronze-medal-as-canadas-breakthrough-in-the-olympic-pool-continues">Read the <em>National Post</em> story on Masse's victory</a></h2> <h2><a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/2016/08/08/canadian-swimmer-kylie-masse-wins-bronze-in-womens-100m-backstroke.html">Read the <em>Toronto Star</em> story</a></h2> <h2><a href="http://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/swimmer-kylie-masse-wins-canada-4th-medal.html">Read the <em>CBC</em>&nbsp;story</a></h2> <h2><a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/olympics/canadian-kylie-masse-wins-bronze-womens-100m-backstroke/">Read the&nbsp;<em>Sportsnet</em>&nbsp;story</a></h2> <p>Back in Toronto, Professor<strong> Ira Jacobs</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp; Physical Education (KPE),&nbsp;was among the Canadians watching and cheering for Masse in front of the TV.</p> <p>鈥淢y family can attest to the fact that I jumped out of my chair and yelled 鈥淵ES!!!鈥 when I heard the results from Byron,鈥 said Jacobs. He immediately emailed Masse to congratulate her on her success on behalf of the whole Faculty.</p> <p>鈥淭o write 鈥渃ongratulations鈥 seems so understated for being chosen to participate in the Olympic Games, never mind setting another Canadian record and winning a medal,鈥 said Jacobs. &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 hope we will get a chance to see that medal up close when Kylie returns and we wish her continuing great swims and great experiences.鈥</p> <p>Masse, a second-year student at KPE, was named 老司机直播 female athlete of the year, Ontario University Athletics (OUA) female athlete of the year and the BLG top female athlete in Canadian University Sport.&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">She is the first Varsity Blues swimmer to claim an Olympic medal while enrolled as a student at 老司机直播. &nbsp;</span></p> <h2><a href="http://magazine.utoronto.ca/life-on-campus/ruling-the-pool-kylie-masse-rio-olympic-games-byron-macdonald-sharon-aschaiek/">Read more about Masse</a></h2> <h2><a href="http://magazine.utoronto.ca/blogs/follow-all-12-u-of-t-2016-summer-olympics-athletes/">Read about more 老司机直播 athletes in Rio</a></h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>(Below: Kylie Masse poses with her bronze medal on the podium of the Women's 100m Backstroke at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 8, 2016/ photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)</p> <p><img alt="photo of Masse with medal" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__1660 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2016-08-09-masse-medal-750x500.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:15:07 +0000 krisha 99932 at