South Surrey’s Pacific Sea Wolves and Para coach Jy Lawrence earn top Swim BC honors, celebrating record-breaking athletes and global success.
South Surrey’s Rising Tide: Pacific Sea Wolves Sweep Top Awards
It’s been a golden season for South Surrey’s Pacific Sea Wolves Swim Club — and the ripples are being felt far beyond the pool. The club, which trains at Surrey’s Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, has been crowned Swim BC’s Club of the Year for 2024–2025. Adding to the celebration, head coach Jy Lawrence snagged the Swim BC Coach of the Year – Paralympic Program award at a provincial ceremony earlier this month.
Making Waves Worldwide
The Sea Wolves aren’t just dominating locally — they’re making international headlines too. Their swimmers have racked up medals across global competitions, proving that dedication and teamwork truly pay off.
Take Sebastian Massabie, for instance. The 20-year-old Paralympian, fresh off his gold-medal win in Paris, shattered two Canadian records at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore this September. His victories in the SM5 200 IM and S5 200 freestyle added to the two records he had already broken during the June trials.
Then there’s Mary Jibb, 18, another Paralympic standout who struck gold in the SM9 200 IM and added two bronze medals in freestyle and backstroke at the same championships. Originally from Ontario, Jibb now proudly trains with Lawrence and the Pacific Sea Wolves.
Young Stars on the Rise
The club’s younger swimmers are also stepping into the spotlight. Max Wu, a Grade 11 student, clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 200 fly at the Summer Canada Games in Newfoundland. Meanwhile, Matthew Cao, a Grade 10 athlete, earned a coveted spot at the Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Toronto — an impressive achievement for such a young competitor.
A Coach’s Pride and Passion
For Coach Lawrence, the recognition is both humbling and inspiring. “It’s incredible to see the progress our athletes have made,” she said. “The medals and records are amazing, but what really matters is the countless hours of hard work they put in every single week.”
She added that the true reward lies in seeing swimmers discover their own potential. “As coaches, we often see what’s possible for them before they do — and watching that realization click for them is the coolest part.”
Eyes on the Future
The season isn’t slowing down anytime soon. After the Toronto World Cup, Lawrence and her team will gear up for the Junior International Competition in Toronto this December. Meanwhile, Massabie and Jibb are preparing for the Ken Demchuk Invitational next month — another chance to showcase the Sea Wolves’ unstoppable energy.
With talent, teamwork, and tireless dedication, the Pacific Sea Wolves are proving that greatness doesn’t just happen — it’s trained, nurtured, and earned one powerful stroke at a time.
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