About Mathew
Sixteen years old and already one of Quebec's identified Espoir swimmers, Mathew races for Club de Natation Mont-Tremblant (CNMT) in the Laurentians.
Mathew's signature event is the 200m backstroke, where his 2:12.91 at the International SAMAK puts him just 1.60 seconds short of the Canadian Trials standard of 2:11.31. He's no one-stroke swimmer, either — he has won the 200m butterfly at Gatineau and keeps dropping time across backstroke, freestyle and the individual medley.
He trains ten sessions a week under coach Loredana Horvat — in the water before school most mornings and back again after class — while in Secondary 4 at École Curé-Mercure. The Fédération de natation du Québec lists him as an Espoir athlete for 2026–2027, the first rung of the provincial high-performance pathway.
Latest Results
His most recent finals — five wins and four personal bests in a single meet, including a 2:12.91 in the 200m backstroke.
The Road to Trials
At the International SAMAK, Mathew's 200m backstroke stopped the clock at 2:12.91 — 1.60 seconds short of the 2:11.31 Canadian Trials standard. Every session now is aimed at closing those 1.60 seconds and qualifying to race at Trials.
That long-course 2:12.91 already beats two 2026–2027 age-16 standards: Coupe Québec (2:18.18) and the Ontario Junior International (2:13.01). Next targets: the Canadian Trials standard (2:11.31), then the Canadian Championships standard (2:09.76).
Personal Bests
Personal bests from his 2026–2027 qualification file. Backstroke leads the way — the highlighted rows are the events driving the Trials chase.
Backstroke
| 50m | 29.83 |
| 100m | 1:02.30 |
| 200m | 2:12.91 |
Freestyle
| 50m | 27.45 |
| 100m | 58.66 |
| 200m | 2:15.19 |
| 400m | 4:50.86 |
| 800m | 9:56.09 |
| 1500m | 19:29.40 |
Butterfly
| 50m | 29.33 |
| 100m | 1:03.98 |
| 200m — won at Gatineau | 2:18.39 |
Breaststroke
| 50m | 36.44 |
| 100m | 1:27.73 |
Individual Medley
| 200m | 2:25.03 |
| 400m | 5:11.49 |
Backstroke
| 50m | 28.83 |
| 100m | 1:00.87 |
| 200m | 2:10.35 |
Freestyle
| 50m | 26.08 |
| 100m | 57.22 |
| 200m | 2:05.45 |
| 400m | 4:29.39 |
| 800m | 10:10.08 |
| 1500m | 19:13.89 |
Butterfly
| 50m | 29.13 |
| 100m | 1:02.37 |
| 200m | 2:16.91 |
Breaststroke
| 50m | 35.23 |
| 100m | 1:27.95 |
| 200m | 2:52.21 |
Individual Medley
| 200m | 2:20.20 |
| 400m | 5:01.54 |
Personal bests per Mathew's 2026–2027 qualification file (age-16 standards), updated October 2026.
The Training Week
Ten sessions a week, built around school. Mornings before class, evenings after — Sunday is the only day out of the water.
Mon
Tue
16:45–19:00 PM swim
Wed
16:45–19:00 PM swim
Thu
16:45–19:00 PM swim
Fri
16:45–19:00 PM swim
Sat
Sun
Support the Season
Mathew has been selected for two high-performance training camps in Florida this season. Warm-water, long-course training against top-level competition is exactly what a backstroker chasing the Trials standard needs — and it's the biggest cost of his year.
What one camp costs
Itemized by coach Loredana Horvat — each camp runs $2,000–$2,500 depending on flights and lodging.
- Bourse Oxygène 2027Application in for the under-21 athlete program — training support, mentorship and athlete-entrepreneur development.
- Ville de Mont-Tremblant — Elite Sport FundChasing the national-tier grant for championship-level competition.
- CDESL “En route vers l'excellence”Regional bursary stream for Laurentian athletes, up to $1,000 toward expenses.
Every dollar goes directly to camp costs: travel, pool time, food and lodging. Sponsors are thanked on the Mathew Casey Swimming Facebook page and in meet updates through the season.
S.casey@live.ca
or garzunkel@hotmail.com Send it right from your own banking app — there's no payment page; the e-Transfer is the donation.
Questions about donating or sponsoring? Email S.casey@live.ca or garzunkel@hotmail.com