I’ve been asked to share with you my experiences of being a first timer at the National Masters Swimming Championships held in Launceston this week (April 6th-10th 2010). I’m sitting here on the plane back to Perth wondering where to start, so maybe I’ll start with the trip to Launceston. School holidays and the Easter long weekend were upon us, and the Nationals loomed! That’s when the trepidation set in. Had I done enough training? Frank (our amazing coach) believed in me, but did I believe in me? No, not really. As I sat on the small twin engine plane (I don’t like small planes!) from Melbourne to Launceston, on my own, peering out to the very small propellers after an already epic travelling time of roughly 12 hours, I wondered what the hell I was doing! Why was I on a plane at all, (leaving my 3 kids behind) let alone about to embark on 4 days of gut wrenching competition, with a bunch of people I sort of knew, but not really. I suddenly felt very alone… But then we landed and I made my way to our accommodation to be greeted by my fellow Gropers, and that’s when the real journey began.

Not much sleep was had by me the newbie, but surprisingly also from the seasoned competitors. A feeling of gut wrenching anxiety was beginning to take hold (a feeling I might add that lasted for 4 days solid!) A feeling which surprisingly became a comfort as I knew an event was coming up soon and it was time to overcome my fears! Then it was time…my first event, the 25m Backstroke. I was terrified. My stomach was churning. I thought I was going to be sick. But then it was over in a flash! I slipped at the start, and stuffed up my final stroke but I had made it! What a buzz! I felt like I had climbed Mt Everest and made it back down alive! My bathers didn’t fall off and I didn’t make a fool of myself in front of all those people! Next came the 100m Individual Medley. Oh my God! All I could think of was the order… Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle… don’t get it wrong! Seconds to go… butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, free… Go!! Once you hit that water, it all happens so quickly you don’t even have time to think about anything let alone the order, you just do it. I can just see Frank nodding his head saying “I told you so!”.

And so it continued… Freestyle, breaststroke backstroke and butterfly in every combination you can think of. With 14 of us Gropers and our adopted Groper Eleanor Parsons from Stadium Snappers,and Jill Woodworth a former Groper, there was never very long before you were screaming at the top of your lungs for one of your teammates and you wouldn’t stop until they acknowledged you from the starters blocks. Yes they can hear you! It didn’t take long before the trepidation I had felt at not really knowing anyone disappeared. The incredible amount of support and camaraderie between the team was unbelievable, and the sheer joy and exhilaration of competing was shared by all. The fact that it didn’t matter where you came (which was lucky for me!) and that the enthusiasm and support was unwavering was intoxicating. I may not have won my heat, but it didn’t matter. The fact I’d done a PB however was celebrated with genuine support, encouragement and excitement. You see, we were surrounded by 563 swimmers of all ages and sizes (and some interesting swimming costumes i.e. the purple leopard print bathers on a rather larger woman that I think were beyond their use by date!) who were there to swim their hearts out, not only for World Records and National Records, but just to feel the water on your skin and the surge of adrenalin at the starters gun. Every nerve ending was tingling, muscles were twitching and you knew you were alive, very alive! What a buzz! Everyone needs to feel this alive at some time. It is exhilarating and exhausting all at once. I want more and feel like I am bursting with news that I want to tell everyone… hence this essay that was only meant to be a paragraph.

It is however the bonds that have been forged and the friendships that have evolved that has been the most rewarding part of this trip for me. I have laughed myself silly, to the point of exhaustion and pain (ie the spider in the maxi-taxi with Anthony and Perc to the rescue, and the ongoing debate as to who or what ‘Myrtle” might be!). I have pushed my body hard and it has responded (thank you Frank, Richard and Elena) and I can’t wait for the next comp. Roll on the State Titles in 3 weeks! What a transformation.

Bottom line, I think I finally get what this is all about… amazing people doing amazing things all the while encouraging you along for the ride. Claremont Masters is an amazing club because of the people who proudly wear its name on their sleeves and caps. When you see people like Perc Edwards at the age of 85 and Richard Hughes standing on their feet officiating all day, then competing in their own races and then coming out and doing pb’s, it blows you away. Their dedication is phenomenal and awe-inspiring. How could you not want to be a part of that. I could spend all day listing all the things that people have done so I have chosen a select few…

Gary and Julie for organising everyone , feeding us and generally looking after us. Nicky for organising the amazing Relay teams that blitzed the field and everything else behind the scenes that I can’t even begin to fathom. Christine, Paul and Linda for welcoming us into their home away from home for dinner and just being so supportive and gorgeous (you too Paul!) Richard for all his tips and encouragement (and healthy rivalry… roll on the States!) and Roxanne for her contagious laughter. Ray for his genuine smile and Lynn for being so gorgeous and sharing her stories about potato mashers! Pip for making sure we had done our warm-up before our events and being a constant motivator. Trish for being the instigator to getting me down to the pool 1 year ago and for making me laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe and for being someone I am honoured and humbled to call my friend. Crofty, Perc, Anthony and Bastiaan for being our hunky next door neighbours, ready to help out or just have a laugh. On a personal note to Bastiaan, Anthony and Trish for sharing with me a moment in time (make that 2) that I will never ever forget as part of their relay team (and a few medals to go with it!). If only you could bottle those feelings! Sally for an amazing swag of medals even though she didn’t get any sleep, yet had a smile on her face throughout. Last but not least, Eleanor our adopted Groper. What a gorgeous lady who was so humble in her achievements and a delight to meet and share an apartment with. Another personal note… a big thankyou to my amazing husband John for giving me the time and space to fulfil that crazy idea that I might be able to go to the Nationals by taking a week off work to look after my 3 beautiful boys whilst I followed my Nationals dream and achieved my goal!

I was proud to call myself a Groper and to encourage people to come to the Nationals in Perth next year. I will forever remember the sight of a 70yr old-ish lady jumping up and down screaming encouragement to her also 70yr old-ish team-mate as she swam the final leg of their relay. In front of a packed stadium, her enthusiasm and encouragement to spur on her team-mate brought a tear to my eye. They didn’t win or even get a medal but they won me. I want to be that lady in 20, 30 or 40yrs time still swimming and screaming and yelling and not being ashamed to walk the pool deck in bathers. They were fit, healthy, happy and intoxicatingly alive! What more could you ask for. What a way to live your life. Bring it on!

Orla Flecker

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