Oakville swim team member convinced Purvis to race again Anna-Marie Purvis, a member of the Bronte Tennis Club, will also compete in tennis at the World Masters Games. | photo by Inger Mackenzie -- Oakville Beaver -- @Halton_Photog 23 | Thursday, August 1, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com continued from p.24 It wasn't until three years ago that Purvis reconsidered a return to competitive swimming. Inspired by Lake Ontario Swim Team member Melanie Price's swim across Lake Ontario, Purvis joined the Oakville-based club. Price talked her into racing once again. "Not in my wildest dreams," Purvis says when asked whether she had ever thought about resuming her swimming career after the South African Games disappointment. "I had my own business (senior care and cosmetology) and was working very hard at that as well as raising a family. Time was an issue." But this year, with her youngest daughter off to Queen's University in the fall, the timing was right to get back in the water. "I did a lot of research. I changed my diet. I get sufficient sleep. I train hard and regularly and am very focused," Purvis says. "I think all those factors make me a lot stronger and more determined than a lot of my co-swimmers. They take it more casually." At the Canada Masters Games earlier this year in Ottawa, Purvis earned two bronze medals in swimming and posted six other top-six finishes. She says first place is always the goal, but she has no false illusions about her chances of winning gold at worlds, which begin tomorrow (Friday) and conclude Aug. 11 at the host site of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Tennis is also unlikely to yield any medals. Purvis did not qualify for the World Masters Games in tennis, but all Games participants are offered the chance to compete in a second sport. If Purvis doesn't stand atop the podium, simply being on the world stage -- 27 years after she was initially supposed to be -- doesn't seem like a bad consolation prize. Rock ends MSL season winless at home Though it has arguably the nicest home floor in Major Series Lacrosse, the Oakville Rock finished the season without a victory at Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. The Rock concluded the senior A campaign Monday at TRAC with a 10-5 loss to the Peterborough Lakers. Brendan Muise scored twice in the finale for Oakville, with Nic Grasby, A.J. Masson and Stephan Leblanc also tallying. The defeat was Oakville's 12th in a row as the club finished last in the six-team league with a record of 2-17-1. Both of the Rock's victories this year were earned on the road, with the tie taking place at TRAC. Oakville played three other games over the final week of the season, falling 10-5 at Six Nations Sunday after being swept in a home-and-home series last week against Brooklin. Elliot Bender, Kyle Davis, Dylan Gilbert, Leblanc and Muise scored Oakville's goals against Six Nations. Thursday at TRAC, the Rock jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Brooklin before the Redmen scored 12 of the game's final 13 markers to win 12-5. Leblanc (one goal, three assists) had four points for the Rock, and Connor Daly, Jaco Ruest, Brenden Thenhaus and Woods also tallied. Last Wednesday in Brooklin, Leblanc and Muise each scored twice in a fight-filled 11-7 loss to the Redmen. Davis (goal, three assists) and Gilbert (four helpers) had four points apiece, with Aaron Brown and Masson netting singles. Eleven fighting majors were handed out during the second period, but only 14 minutes in penalties were assessed in the following night's game between the two teams. 2013 was the Rock's first season in Oakville after relocating from Ajax-Pickering. Splish, splash! Swimming lessons, swim lanes, relaxing leisure pool. www.ymcaofoakville.com OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB Week Ten Photo Contest Winner: Photographer: Matthew Ellis Age Division: G-U7 (Ford) Sponsored by: A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club