Nicolas-Guy Turbide takes unusual training approach ahead of Canadian swimming trials

Paralympian Nicolas-Guy Turbide has had to go against conventional wisdom as he prepares for the Canadian swimming trials.

Turbide earned bronze at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and 2020 silver in Tokyo, both in the men's 100-metre backstroke, and followed with gold in the men's 50 freestyle at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on July 30.

He did it all despite learning in 2021 his nervous system will collapse if he overexerts himself for too many days in a row.

"It's not the advice we often give to swimmers, but I really have to listen to how I feel on the day," he said, sitting in the poolside stands at Toronto's Pan Am Centre.

"Some days I'll be absolutely fine and those are the days I'm going to push much harder since I know that my body will be able to handle it and I need to stop at the right moment so I don't trigger myself to get in that zone where my nervous system doesn't work well anymore."

Turbide, who competes in the S13 category for visually impaired swimmers, said he'll sometimes have to quit a training session after six or seven strokes because he gets exhausted so quickly. Instead of time in the pool, he'll have to go lift weights or do another exercise instead of swimming.

That has made training for events like this week's Canadian swimming trials a challenge.

"That's what I had to do for pretty much the last six, seven months since the last season ended for us after the Commonwealth Games," said Turbide, who said being horizontal when he swims aggravates his back and nervous system. "So, my big focus this week will be shorter sprint events where I'm able to train a lot better than if I was swimming 100 or 200 metres."

Wednesday will be the first day of competition for the 26-year-old Quebec City native at