A duo of Swift Current youth Sea Cadets raced 28 other competitors by boat on Wabamun Lake earlier this month. 

Petty Officer Second Class Colton Koethler was joined by Petty Officer First Class Jazmine Pope to compete in the 2022 Regional Cadet Regatta.  

Pope has been a cadet for the past four years, and said the reason she enjoys it so much is the feeling of a home away from home. 

“For me the Regatta was really fun,” she said. “I found that I was able to apply what I learned over the summer. Over the weekend, we progressively got better because we were learning new skills. When we got feedback, we applied it, and we did a lot better.” 

The racers set sail multiple times over the weekend of October 1, at the Wabamun Sailing Club in Alberta.  

Not only does Pope take part in events in Swift Current, and now Alberta, but has also travelled to Vancouver Island multiple times for training camps. 

“When I was in Navy League, I got a little taste of both air and Sea Cadets and I just fell in love with sailing and being on the water in different boats," Pope said. “Sailing is such a fun experience and Cadets pretty much gives it to you for free and you get to learn a lot of new things over the years.” 

She recently got her pleasure craft license through the 259 Drylander Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps. 

The program is peer-led, teaches youth an abundance of skills, gives them opportunities to travel and meet new people, and helps them stay active in a means that's fun.  

“My goal with Cadets is to learn life skills, teach others about Cadets, and represent myself and my home Corps well,” Pope said in a written release. “For someone thinking about joining cadets, I'd say this is a very good thing to have in your life and very fun.”