Moorpark's Bird reaching elite status in pool
Canadian-born athlete hopes to compete in future Olympics
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

Alanah Bird

Five years ago, Alanah Bird was told by a friend she'd make a good swimmer because she had big feet. Although the advice may have been a silly joke, Bird's swimming career has been anything but.

"My friend said the comment about having big feet because it would be like having fins to push through the water," Bird said with a laugh. "Obviously it's a big myth, but I thought, 'Why not give the sport a try?'"

The 15yearold Bird competes in the 100 breast stroke, 200 IM, and 100- and 200-free style events as a sophomore at Moorpark High. Last season, Bird was part of the first girls' relay team at MHS to qualify for the CIF postseason.

"I was the first swimmer on the relay team, and I got us off to a pretty good start," Bird said.

"After that I just hoped we kept up our pace. When our last swimmer finished, I immediately looked at the scoreboard and saw that we qualified by two seconds. I was so thrilled when that happened."

Although Bird and her teammates beat the clock by a slim margin, Bird was crushed when she attempted to earn a place at the Canadian Olympic Trials last week and missed out- by two seconds.

"I was really upset when I first learned I didn't make the cut," said Bird, who hails originally from Calgary, Alberta. "I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I think it got to me.

"However, I stopped to think about the situation later in the week and then felt almost relieved I didn't make it because I would've missed midterms at school, and I've already missed so much school already. At the same time, it would've been a great experience," she said.

Although Bird won't be able to compete this summer in Beijing, the sophomore still has a bright future at Moorpark, and head coach Jason Nevis is glad to have her in the program.

"It seems, sometimes, that I'm like an innocent bystander because she mostly practices with her club team and not with us," Nevis said.

"Still, I'm very glad to have her at Moorpark. She's a good leader and often helps me demonstrate how to do something to the rest of the team."

Bird spends a lot of her time swimming for Conejo Simi Aquatics (CSA), where she says she gets good advice from her coach, Mark Temple.

"He's told me that by next year I should be at an Olympic training level," Bird said.

"Now I'm trying to make the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He does a good job of building up my endurance and getting me into shape."

While Bird does like competing for CSA, she admits that swimming at Moorpark is less stressful.

"I love doing the meets at Moorpark with all my friends," Bird said. "It's a different environment than at the club level. In club, you're mostly just racing against the clock. In high school, you're racing more as a team."

Nevis said he's glad Bird is having a good time at Moorpark.

"I can tell that her time at Moorpark is fun because every time I see her she has a smile on her face," Nevis said.

"It's a huge benefit for the other kids on this team to be able to learn and swim with her."