PRESIDENTS CHRISTMAS PRATTLE
It has been an extremely busy and eventful lead up to Christmas 2024. A review of recent activities, congratulations and acknowledgments is long overdue.
The November ABC Carnival was again a success for the club. At a time when many swimmers start focussing on the upcoming open water season, the coordination, organisation, setup and running of this annual event is a credit to the members. You are a disciplined group of hard working and dedicated people, thanks to all involved. In the competition arena, it was again a successful day for the club, so thanks to all swimmers for supporting the event. And didn’t the new Mandurah swimwear stand out?
Why not spend the sleeping hours under bright lights with loud music? Well, it’s not an official Mandurah Masters event but the inaugural Perkins Plunge offered an alternative experience to swimming during the day and sleeping at night. A ‘Harry Perkins Institute’ fundraiser, the event required teams to maintain an active swimmer throughout the night from 6pm to 6am. Between shifts, swimmers tried for some sleep in swags and tents, mostly unsuccessfully. Certainly not the night to forget the tent! Any chance of staying asleep till sunrise was dashed at 4am when our new best mate, John, cranked up the music and PA volume to wish us ‘good morning’ and to again remind us ‘why we are here’. An ‘interesting’ swimming experience, a great team-building opportunity with all-night food and drinks, was capped off by a glass of champagne and cooked breakfast. Unofficially, great job Captain Kath!
Another November event - Doddi’s Dash 2024 - attracted a field of 45 swimmers. It was a memorable, well-organised day of hard swimming, laughter and fellowship, under clear skies at a great location. It was made even more memorable by the visiting Rockingham crew, of eight, who not only swam but got into the spirit and contested the fashion parade trophies normally won by Deb Bloor and Team Crake (which were won by Deb Bloor and Team Crake).
The swimming winners list included.
Woohoo!! Sue Giles – ‘Doddi’s Dash 2024 Golden Goggles Award winner’
First across the line – Greg Frey (Rockingham)
Fastest time - Lyle Kildea (Rockingham) (14:49).
Other notable performers were Pat (16:09), Guy (16:22) and Joel (16:36). (Not a bad effort boys but just not quick enough!)
Thanks to Race Handicapper, Barb, and her helpers who managed to keep the finish line orderly and legitimate. A major discovery of the day was the organisational talents of our very own Brett Matters. He not only owned the mike, as MC, but organised people and equipment in the lead up including setting up and dismantling of the course. Great job Brett!
The Christmas lunch at Meadow Springs Golf Club provided a perfect opportunity to officially close out the year - a good venue with plenty to eat. Although the acoustics were memorable - one could hear every conversation in the room except the one that really mattered - there was the usual amount of drinking, laughing and stupidity that we’ve come to know. Entertainment included a live performance from Alex, Karen, Kath, Jane and Mel, who wore interesting costumes and provided a tightly choreographed performance (not too sure what it was about) with lots of cabaret style arms and legs. A memorably talented and gutsy performance by the girls, expertly supported by the prop work of Steve and Randy.
The November Tuesday evening and Thursday morning MARC training sessions achieved the highest monthly attendance for 2024. Well done, Coaches! Coach Des modestly couldn’t explain the rise in popularity when questioned. So, with females outnumbering males two to one, could it simply be the obvious male appeal of the two coaching legends? Regardless, hats off to Des and Wayne for staying with it and providing challenging sessions. And swimmers, be prepared for some new coaching ideas as trainees - Kath, Greg and Caroline – gradually come on board and accept more coaching load in their own style.
Once you experience the hypnotic effect of one recognisable red swim buoy, oscillating for hours between groyne and reef, you’ll know that the open water swimming season is on. For the sake of new members, the official Doddi’s Beach session times are 7:30am to 8:30am on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with spotter on duty. However, expect to see swimmers training outside those hours in preparation for longer swims, especially during the summer months.
While numerous open water events are available on most weekends throughout summer, below is a summary of the upcoming events which are particularly popular with our members.
New Years Day – Not a great idea for some but a popular event all the same, a Mandurah Mannas social event at Doddi’s Beach which involves swimming as many km as possible to ensure that last year’s combined total km record is broken. That’s all. Followed by socialising, BBQ and a good night’s sleep.
Port Bouvard SLSC – Cut 2 Club Open Water Swim – January 18, 2025. Distance options include 2.25km, 3.5km and 5.0km. This is a unique swimming experience and has become popular with our club. Registrations are now open. https://www.portbouvardslsc.com.au/cut-2-club/
Swim Thru Perth 2025 – January 19, 2025. 3.5km swim from Perth City to Matilda Bay. A challenging swim for the more adventurous and popular with Mannas. Registration now open. https://www.swimthruperth.org/
Busselton Jetty Swim – February 9, 2025. If not already registered, it’s too late for 2025 but may be worth a drive down to experience the atmosphere. This event is the ’Grand Final’ for most non-Rottnest Channel swimmers and probably the second most popular WA open water event. https://busseltonjettyswim.org.au/
Rottnest Channel Swim – February 22, 2025. Again, it’s too late to register but the atmosphere on Rottnest is exciting. A great way to acknowledge and congratulate our own club members on their achievements. https://rottnestchannelswim.com.au/
Coogee Jetty to Jetty – March 9, 2025. Registrations are open and may sell out! Another very popular, very competitive event for all Masters swimmers. The 1500m swim is followed by a great picnic atmosphere for the family under the trees of John Graham Recreation Reserve. https://www.jettytojetty.org.au/
Albany Harbour Swim – Easter Saturday - this is a four km swim across Albany Harbour on Easter Saturday. The swim can be challenging depending on the conditions on the day. Popular with Mannas. Not yet open for registration but the following link may be useful. https://www.letsdothis.com/gb/e/albany-harbour-swim-217095
Southern Ocean Classic, Ocean Beach Denmark – Easter Sunday – a good partner event for the Albany swim, 1600m swim around buoys in the Southern Ocean, with ocean currents and swell to contend with. No registration information available yet. https://www.facebook.com/SouthernOceanClassicMile/
On a purely social note, any new member who has not experienced swimming at Doddi’s Beach may want to come along for a look and introduction to the group. There is ALWAYS post-swim socialising, regardless of weather conditions. It is an ideal way to meet some of the members.
Merry Christmas to all members and safe travels. And a special callout to those members we haven’t seen for some time. Hope you’re well and we see you back in the water soon.
Finally, we’ve recently welcomed back a Doddi’s favourite. She loves ocean swimming, especially when it’s rough, “Yahoo”. Great to see you back in the ocean JAN BODDY – SWIMMER OF THE MONTH!
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