By Sarah Tone, Communications Coordinator
Two Winnipeg sisters gave Team Manitoba six individual medals in the pool this week at the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games.
Mia West, 16, who is heading to the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii later this month, won gold in the 200-metre butterfly and added silvers in the 200m individual medley and the 200m freestyle.
Halle West, 14, won gold in the 100m breaststroke, silver in the 200m breaststroke, and bronze in the 50m breaststroke.
They faced each other three times this week. In the 200m IM final, Mia won silver and Halle finished fourth, and in the heats and then final of the 100m freestyle where Mia finished fourth and Halle was seventh.
The older sister usually wins (Halle did get the upper hand in a 200m IM race earlier this year) but it’s all fun and support between the two siblings.
“I have fun with it,” said Halle. “It pushes me a lot more, racing my sister.”
“For me, it doesn’t really change much,” said Mia. “I love her, so I just like to race her sometimes. It’s fun.”
Mia and Halle’s parents are mother Riley Mants, a Canadian Olympian who competed in the 200m breaststroke in Atlanta, and dad Bo West who competed for Denmark in freestyle. So Mia was able to train and compete in Denmark over the past couple of years and broke a couple of national records.
Now Mia turns her attention to preparing to represent Canada.
“I’m hoping I can just race as fast as I can, maybe get some best times, and have fun with the team.”
Meanwhile, Halle gets to travel with the family to Hawaii and cheer on her sister, fresh from her own big Games result.
“I’m really happy with the outcome of it,” Halle said. “I was kind of pleasantly surprised I was doing more than I expected with this meet. … I just turned 14 (about) two weeks ago and it’s 16-and-under so it’s pretty big competition for me.”
“I’m really proud of her,” said Mia. “I’m just super happy when she’s doing so well.”
*story originally written by Carol Phillips of the 2022 Canada Summer Games
