12 year-old sets sights on Malar swim record

The daughter of a McMaster staff member will attempt to break a 23 year-old
swimming record held by Olympian and McMaster alumna Joanne Malar Friday at the
Ivor Wynne Centre.

Twelve year-old Sarah Hodge, of the Hamilton Aquatic Club, is competing at the
Joanne Malar Invitational Friday night where she hopes to improve on her time of 28.47
in the 50-metre freestyle in order to break Malar's record time of 28.23.

“I'm both nervous and excited – nervous because this is one of my last chances to beat
the record before I turn 13, and excited because I am crazy close to actually doing it!”
said Hodge. “I've been trying to follow in Joanne's footsteps ever since I began
swimming competitively. She's been the ultimate role model for me.”

Hodge credits Malar, who with husband Delano Ducheck has also coached the young
swimmer, with helping her improve her skills in the pool.

Hodge's mother Lisa, a senior grants advisor in Health Research Services and herself a
former swimmer, says that while she doesn't want to put undue pressure on her
daughter, she is looking forward to seeing her daughter attempt the club record.

“It's very exciting all around,” said Lisa, who also swam with the Hamilton Aquatic Club.
“Sarah is a great swimmer – much better than I ever was.”

Malar graduated from McMaster with a degree in kinesiology in 2002. She competed in
three consecutive Summer Olympics (1992, 1996 and 2000) and retired with 30
national titles and more than 70 international medals to her name.

Hodge plans to swim in Hamilton until she graduates high school at which point she
hopes to continue her swimming career at the collegiate level. Her ultimate goal is to
one day medal at the Olympic Games.