Tia Zimmerman won't be buying gold when she heads to Dubai, she'll be swimming for it, and the preparation has already started. 

Special Olympics Team Canada held a training camp at Teen Ranch Canada in St. Caledon, Ontario throughout the weekend of October 20th. Taking part in it, was local swimmer from Engelfeld, Tia Zimmerman.

Zimmerman is a part of Team Canada's swimming team that will be traveling to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

"There were some sessions to show you exercises, sessions on nutrition. There was interviewing, helping with how to talk with media," said Zimmerman. She also got a chance to meet the other members of her swim team that will be making the trip to the UAE. "We have 24 swimmers on the team, I knew two of them but I got to get to know the rest of them there," she added.

The games take place in March so Zimmerman and her training schedule are already in full force. "Right now it's still at least three times a week cross-training, along with the gym and all that and I'm in the pool swimming 4 times a week as well."

Zimmerman will be taking part in 4 events throughout the games. She is racing in the 200m backstroke, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, and a relay. "The only one of these events that I was in during nationals was the 400 free. I've done the 200 back a lot, but I've only ever done the 800 free in practice."

The length of the pool is 25m. which would make the 800m race, 32 laps.