Here Comes the Sun
AUGUST 6th, 2022 ISSUE

Hi Everyone,

It feels like Sydney is pretty empty at the moment with many people travelling to the Northern Hemisphere, making up for lost time after the closed borders of the last couple of years. This coupled with people being away with flu, colds and the dreaded COVID has seen a few of our swimmers missing in action. However, it’s great to see some of our regular swimmers returning to training. Caroline, Ghassan, Kanya and most recently, Barbara have all returned to the pool and training. Well back! 

I was asked this week, how long it takes to get your swimming fitness back after a long hiatus from training. The rule of thumb is for every week you’re away, it takes two weeks to return to the level of fitness you had before you left. The important thing to remember is you’re back and you’re swimming! Your swim fitness will eventually return. 

Speaking of getting back into training; I was reflecting today on my lack of commitment to my own personal swim training. I’ve recently had a lot on my plate, taking care of my aged mother, and shepherding our squad and swim school out of two years of lockdowns and pandemic. I’m sure you’d agree, it’s now time for me to get back into my own training! But in order for that to happen, I need a swim goal, or a series of goals leading up to a hairy, audacious goal. Is anyone else feeling like you are missing a swim goal or a destination swim? Unfortunately I struggle to commit to a training unless I have something to train for. So I will be spending the next couple of weeks working on my own personal swim plan for the season. If you’re in the same boat and need a hand working out yours, feel free to reach out. I’m happy to assist you. 

As you will see further down in the newsletter, I’m returning to the pool deck at the end of August to coach Tuesday morning squads and also Saturday SwimFit sessions. Yes, unfortunately, Jelena is leaving us to embark on the trip of lifetime for nine months.

You’ll also see we have a special referral offer to encourage new swimmers to come and join us in spring to get their swimming in tip top shape for summer. So if you have a friend or family member who you think could be keen, please send them the details. 

You would have received a notification that our fees are increasing marginally from 15th August. Like many businesses our costs have gone up over the past few months and we’re not able to absorb them, sadly. If you’d like to purchase at the current rates, jump online to MindBody before the middle of the month and pick up your multi pass or renew your autopay at the current rates. 

We have a couple of swimmers registered for some great swims this month. I’d like to wish Michael McKelvie all the very best for his Bosphorus Swim in Turkey. His commitment to his training through winter has been incredibly impressive. Also, Kim Cook is over in the UK competing in a number of swims. She has already completed the Henley Royal Regatta Course, 2km swim (which is held at dawn) and the Jubilee River 10km swim, where she came in 12th out of 27 females. She still has the Thames Marathon and the Windermere swims to complete. Amazing stuff. We wish her the very best of luck for the remaining swims too. 

Finally, the recent warmer weather has given us a taste of what lies ahead – spring and summer. I think it’s fair to say it’s been a pretty cold winter, which has been made even worse by the wet weather. I for one, can’t wait for the warmer weather and plenty more swimming! 

As always, yours in swimming, 

Kari Baynes
Director 

Photo: Jelena watching over her SwimFit swimmers at C+P Pool.  PC: Kari Baynes

Catching Up with Mark Taylor

This week, Kari sat down to have a chat with one of our star squad swimmers, Mark Taylor, about his swimming story, as we get ready to farewell him for a few months while he’s off travelling. So don’t worry, you can all rest easy knowing you’ve got some time to catch up before he gets back! Keep reading for a glimpse into friend and fellow swimmer, Mark’s journey with the water.

Mark started his swimming career in 1977 in Chester in the UK, when he joined the local club called the Cheshire Dolphins. He got into swimming to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was also a swimmer. He has carried this legacy on through his children who are now award winning swimmers themselves. 

To quote Mark, “I got very good, very quickly.” By the age of 15, he was winning swimming competitions and holding 56s for 100m! Mark competed in Germany and Belgium, and rounded out his days by spending one and a half hours each morning and evening in the pool training. 

After taking a break from swimming for a while when he moved to Australia in 1983, he rekindled his connection with the water when he joined the University of Queensland swim squad. Now, Mark swims with us every Thursday at Victoria Park Pool under the guidance of Coach Paul, who often comes up with creative ways to keep Mark challenged in the water. 

Without any real interest in open water swimming (referred to as “wild” swimming in England), Mark now swims for for his health and recreation. His days of competitive swimming are over and Mark doesn’t have any plans to  get back into it, rather enjoying the health and wellbeing benefits of a regular squad session.

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We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Mark Taylor for chatting with us and sharing your story. If you’d like to share your experiences with swimming, we’d love to hear them and share so please get in touch any time!

Photo:  Mark getting ready to dive in at squads on a Thursday morning. PC: Paul Myatt

You heard right! We’re launching a special offer for new referrals as we head into a new season. Bring a friend, family member (or even just your neighbour!) to squad or SwimFit and they’ll get their first session free, plus the next two sessions for half price. 

And don’t worry, you won’t be left out! We’ll add an extra session to your pack or auto pay contract, on the house. 

Hit the button below for an easy invite that you can download and send to your friends and family. As always, if you have any questions please get in touch!

Please note that this offer is redeemable once per person. Discounted session passes must be used within 1 month of purchase. 

Bring a Friend!

Coaching Team Changes

As we head into a new swimming season and with Prince Alfred Park Pool opening back up, we’ve got a few updates to our coaching team that we want to share.

At the end of August, we’ll be farewelling Jelena who’s embarking on a nine month overseas trip. We’re sad to see her go, as I’m sure many of you will be too, but we’ll be sending her off with our best wishes. Plus, we can’t wait to see all the photos when she gets back!

This means that our Tuesday morning squad at Victoria Park Pool and our Saturday SwimFit/ Squad sessions at prinec Alfred Park Pool will need a coach – so in exciting news our very own Director Kari will be jumping in to take these sessions!

Coach Paul will continue to take Thursday mornings and Diana will continue to take her usual SwimFit session on Tuesdays, as well as the fortnightly Open Water Training sessions. 

Photo:  Jelena (left) watching over her squads, and Kari (right) wearing her awesome glasses. PC: Kari Baynes.

Book Now!

SwimFit Schedule Updates

With maintenance complete and Prince Alfred Park Pool now reopen, we wanted to remind you of our upcoming schedule changes. 

All squad and SwimFit sessions held at Victoria Park Pool (VPP) will continue to run as usual as we head into the new spring, summer swim season. The only change will be to coaching staff in late August, as mentioned above.

From Saturday August 20th, our Saturday SwimFit session will be moving back to the outdoor Prince Alfred Park Pool (PAPP) and will be coached by Kari. This session will also start an hour earlier, starting at 11:00am every Saturday. 

Both the Tuesday night and Saturday morning SwimFit sessions will run across two lanes to accomodate all of our swimmers. At PAPP, the session runs in 25m lanes and to be more beginner-friendly and help introduce people to squad swimming in a fun and easy environment. The VPP session will have 50m lanes to help push you further and develop your stamina, so you can get ready to move into one of our morning squad sessions. 

If you have any questions about our programs or upcoming timetable do get in touch!

Photo: A throwback photo to sunny days at PAPP. PC: Kari Baynes

Emma McKeon – Most Decorated Athlete of All Time

Emma McKeon has now become the most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete of all time after winning her 11th gold medal on Monday morning. She is a legend of the pool, and no doubt this year’s Games will go down in history for Australia’s swimming team. 

It’s wild to think that nearly 10 years ago, Emma was close to calling it quits altogether. Her journey with competitive swimming has shown not just Australia, but the whole world what true dedication looks like- all while remaining one of the most humble people out there. Go Emma, and go Dolphins!

Read the Full Article Here

Are you after a Bespoke, Tailored Program? 

We’re really enjoying our NEW bespoke offering.

Do you have a particular event you are training for and think you could benefit from a custom built training program? 

Get in touch for more information! 

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