Van Beilen Joins UBC

The Vancouver National Swim Centre announced today that Tera Van Beilen of Oakville, ON will be joining the program next fall as she enrolls into her first year of University at UBC.

Van Beilen, 18, has already made her mark on the international scene as a Junior level swimmer. At the inaugural Youth Olympic Games last summer, Van Beilen collected a gold and silver medal in the 100 and 200 breaststroke respectively.

Her hot streak continued a few weeks later while competing for Canada at the Junior Pan-Pacific in Hawaii winning silver and bronze.

The taste of international success has fueled Van Beilen’s efforts as she strives for the big event, the Olympics.

While in Vancouver, Van Beilen will train and race under coaches Tom Johnson and Jozsef Nagy, and attend the University of British Columbia to study Human Kinetics.

Van Beilen, who specializes in breaststroke, will train alongside World Record Holder and Beijing Olympian Annamay Pierse, World Championships Finalist Martha McCabe, World University Games team members Haylee Johnson and Hanna Pierse.

“It’s great to have an athlete like Tera joining our program here in Vancouver. She is a great breaststroker especially the sprinting distances and will add some much needed speed to our group,” said the 200 meter breaststroke World Record holder, Annamay Pierse. “It is always great having new top level athletes join your group, I really think she will thrive under Joszef’s coaching.”

Tera will be completing her grade 12 in Oakville, while continuing her swimming with the Oakville Aquatics, where she swim with her current coach Sean Baker.

This summer, Van Beilen will represent Canada at the Universiades (previously known as the World University Games) in Shenzhen, China, before the move to Vancouver.