Nic Youngblud

Birth Date: January 16, 1981
Height: 5’10” (177 cm.)
Weight: 170 lbs. (77.3 kg.)
Home Town: Hamilton, ON
Home Club: Hamilton Aquatic Water Polo Club
Position: Goalie

Education: Graduated OAC from Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton in 2000. Presently in second year of a BComm./BA University of Calgary

Nic started playing water polo in Grade 9 with the Westdale Warriors as an offensive force. When the team’s goalie graduated to the senior team, he decided to give goaltending a whirl. He was a big success at goal tending and won the Most Valuable Goalie Award at a big high school tournament. He caught the attention of the coach of the Hamilton city team, Quinn Fairley, who recruited him to play for the Hamilton Aquatic Water Polo Club. With the help of Quinn’s expert coaching, he made great strides in pursuit of a position on the national team.

He was asked to play with Team Odyssey (the national youth team) in November of 1997 and continued with that team until the end of Junior World’s in August of 2001. In 2000, he moved to the men’s National training centre in Calgary in pursuit of a spot on the Senior Men’s National team. His persistence, dedication and excellent play resulted in his being carded in September 2002.

Nic has had the opportunity to play internationally with the national team program. In his career with the Junior Team, he played for Canada’s silver medal winning team at the 2000 Pan-Am Games in Venezuela. He also played at the Junior 2001 World’s in Turkey. With the Senior National Team Nic played in the 2003 Cairo International Water Polo Tournament, where team Canada took the gold and in the 2003 Mintal Memorial Water Polo Tournament in Turkey (silver).

Reflecting on his water polo experiences, Nic says, “Water Polo has given me many opportunities in life which, if I had never started playing, I would have surely missed out on. I've traveled to places in the world that I probably would have never gotten the opportunity to see in my lifetime. I’ve tested my skills against athletes all over the world. I’ve been surrounded by a great group of people, not only in Hamilton and Calgary, but all over the country as well. All of this, and I am able to proudly represent the best country in the world, Canada!, on an international level, what more could you want!”


Valérie Lessard

I started water polo when I was 14. I was tired of playing hockey and was looking for another sport. My sister had just start water polo and I went to see her play. Water polo seems so great that I decide to join the Titans water polo club and start as a cadet first year and really enjoy it. I even went with KW to the Cadet National at Calgary in 2003. And that tournament was the first big step for my career. During the tournament, I improve so much and loved the sport. When I was cadet second year in 2004, I went to Mtl to try out the youth national camp to get more experience. I was so sick tat time but I learned a lot but didn’t make it... But made the provincial team. My coach Sheba help me improve a lot as well by letting me play with the youth team and for a junior tournament. During the spring there was another camp to make the youth national and I tried again. I was finally pick as an alternate and was able to go to Germany as part of the Youth National team. I was so proud to be part of that team and learned a lot. Back in Canada I continue to train harder and improve more. In 2005 I was selected to go to the first youth Panam in Mexico where my team(white) collect the silver medal by a lost against the other Canada team (red). At the same time, I was also on the provincial team and was heading to Europe for the 2 first weeks of July. When I got back from the trip, I was already back in the pool training with the other part of team Ontario to prepare for the youth cup. After this great tournament and seeing the World championship at the same time, I participate in the top 30 camp where the coaches would selected the best athletes for the next group of Junior National team. In 2005 I receive an official letter saying that I was part of the Junior National team and that I was also carded. I went to Hungary in December to represent Canada. I learn that I was also selected to go in France during the end of March. Right now I’m trying to finish high school with good marks and go study in Mtl where I’ll be able to train with the senior and junior team. My goal is to be a starting player for the Junior world championship in 2007.