Two Portage athletes are possible candidates for the Canada Games next summer. 

15-year-old Carson Pehura and 13-year-old Anika Dyck swim competitively in the Portage area, and are now on the shortlist to make Team Manitoba for the Canada Games in St. John from August 8-24, 2025.

Pehura notes it’s exciting to see his hard work pay off.

“I’ve been working for this for about a year, since I heard about it. I’ve been training mornings by myself, trying to make the team, and now that I’ve made it, it made my day, definitely, when I found out. I felt something I’ve never felt before, and it felt really good to achieve my goals.”

The two swimmers specialize in different strokes, with Pehura competing in butterfly, and Dyck using backstroke. Dyck explains which events she plans to compete in.

“200 back is my main event, and the 100 back, 50 back.” She adds, “I’m a little nervous, but mostly excited.”

Rob Pehura has been coaching the two, and feels it’s good for both Carson and Anika, but also other athletes in the program.

“I think, for both of them, it’s nice to have the recognition. But it also gives them something to strive for. Because now they’re looking at maybe getting into this, now they have that carrot dangling in front of them. So, it keeps them working, and then it also inspires some of the other athletes, because you have two kids who are getting noticed, and the other kids start to follow. If they work hard, it makes the other kids work harder.”