Masters swimmers dive into action

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GEORGE NEWS - The Conville public swimming pool is buzzing with excitement this week as it hosts the 41st SA Masters National Swimming Championships, which kicked off this morning, Wednesday 11 March.

This major event on the national swimming calendar runs through to Saturday, bringing together swimmers from all corners of South Africa and beyond.

Members of the local Fish Eagle Masters Club (Fems) are in action, joining hundreds of competitors in everything from sprints to longer-distance races, individual medleys, relays and mixed-gender events. The competitors’ ages range from young adults to inspirational seasoned swimmers in their 80s and even 90s.

The four-day event is hosted by Fems in partnership with the George Municipality and Eden Aquatics.

There has been a strong sense of excitement and quiet confidence among the Fems team in the lead-up to the championships. The local swimmers spent weeks training together, meeting regularly to refine relay strategies and build team cohesion. Final preparations took place last weekend when the swimmers fine-tuned their 50m relay exchanges and received their official team kit.

As the oldest masters swimming club in George, Fems has proudly represented the region at national championships for more than two decades.

Adding to the positive energy within the squad is the appointment of Tanya Livingston as team captain for the championships.

Last year in Durban, 24 Fems athletes came away with a spectacular 58 medals.

This year, the competition is even bigger, with 24 clubs from across the country taking part, along with 46 international swimmers from countries such as Germany, Singapore, Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Watching these swimmers is like watching ballet in the water.

In total, 457 swimmers are competing, with an average age of 56. The field includes 184 swimmers under the age of 60, while the veteran participants are impressively well into their 80s and 90s.

Pool events take place over seven sessions from Wednesday morning to Saturday at lunchtime, after which the swimmers will head to Island Lake for the 1km and 3km open water swims.

Besides the competition, visiting swimmers and their families have the opportunity to explore George and enjoy its mountains, beaches and wide range of entertainment offerings.

“We sincerely thank our sponsors, partners and the Fems local organising committee for their dedication in making this championship possible. To all swimmers, we wish you strong races, sharp turns, proud finishes and most importantly, an enjoyable and memorable experience competing together in George,” said Fems chairperson Eugene Schoombie.

According to team member Jed van Roon-Gifford, Fems is excited to make a splash on home ground, or rather, in home water.

Segeni Ngethe from Kenya during his warm-up round. Photos: Jeff Ayliffe