By Daysha Loppie –
the new introductory swim team created by Toronto Purple Fins, a swim club based at the Wellesley Community Aquatic Centre.
Amber Hutchinson founded Toronto Purple Fins in 2021; it now has about 50 members. The club is gender-free, which means it doesn’t attach relevance to gender during its practices. It welcomes trans, non-binary and two-spirit people as well as queer cis women.
“People can feel comfortable to wear what they want without judgment,” said K.D. Dickey, swim coach and the Purple Fins’ program director.
“They can show up as they are without judgment, using names and pronouns of their choosing. We also respect the privacy of our swimmers.”
The Wellesley Community Aquatic Center is a city-run five-lane, 25-metre pool in an accessible facility with universal change rooms. Toronto Purple Fins meets there on Thursdays for its Purple Fins program, a weekly meet for recreational and competitive swimmers.
“It’s our home pool, largely because of its location within the queer community space [of The Village],” said Dickey. “It’s also really important that our home pool is acceptable for physical accessibility, and there are completely gender-neutral change rooms. There’s no worry for people who identify any certain way to have to be put into binary change rooms. And besides that, the pool is beautiful.”
In March, the club introduced Rainbow Fins as a four-week development program for beginner swimmers to learn the ways of the water and team swimming.
“It’s low-stakes,” said Dickey. “It’s a place to try new things, to just show up as you are and have fun. And to be able to get into the pool – and know that it is safe and fun to do so.”
Toronto Purple Fins offers one free trial swim, after which swimmers register for a program. You can also participate in weekly swim practice drop-ins for $22.60. The club also offers limited sponsorships if the cost of the program is a barrier.
“We want to make a bigger splash within swimming in Canada, and show master swimmers that trans people do exist in this space,” Dickey said. “We want to be included in the master swimming events.”
