Pittwater Life January 2023 Issue

In the swim of things
News
The 2023 Pittwater Ocean
Swim Series kicks off
this month on local
beaches every Sunday, with
races delivering participants
the opportunity to win a holiday
in the Whitsundays.
The series comprises five
swims, with each swim promoted
individually as well as part
of the series. Newport, Bilgola,
Mona Vale, and Palm to Whale
Beach are all held in January,
with the series concluding with
the Avalon Swim in March.
Inspirational English Channel
swimmer John Wall will be
guest starter at the Newport
Pool to Peak swims on Sunday
8 January.
The Big Swim, between Palm
Beach and Whale Beach (sponsored
by Macquarie Bank), is
the longest-running ocean
swim of the series, starting in
1974. It offers $500 cash to the
male and female winners in its
Elite category, plus medals for
placegetters in all categories.
The Little Big Swim (sponsored
by Ray White Prestige
Palm Beach) is a 1km swim off
Palm Beach; it’s used by many
of the stronger swimmers as a
warm-up for the big event.
“You don’t even have to win
one of the series races to take
out the main prize,” explains
Big Swim race director Annette
Baggie. “It is eligible to any
swimmers who complete three
of the five series swims.”
Last year’s competition winner
was 26-year-old Ali Pluss,
who won an amazing swimming
holiday in the Whitsundays.
“It was so good,” Ali enthus-
GET SET: Thousands will compete
in January’s Pittwater ocean swims.
ADVICE: Channel conqueror Wall.
es. “Five days and four nights
swimming twice a day in the
most beautiful locations!
“I took my brother Nick, who
competed in the 2.8km Big
Swim and is really into ocean
races now, and I took my mum
(61) who had done the 1km
Little Big Swim with me.
“It was a great holiday and
you could swim at your own
pace in the longer races, it
wasn’t like a hiking trip where
you hold the group up.
“We’re all keen swimmers,
although haven’t been competitive
in the past or trained…
we just all love the water.
“Ocean swimming is very
different to the pool – more
exciting things can happen.
And you really get the benefits
of being outdoors in the fresh
air, and of the cool water and
nature.”
John Wall’s swimming journey
is inspirational. He joined
Mona Vale SC in 2013 and com-
pleted his Bronze Medallion
after his two boys joined Nippers.
After moving to Newport
and joining its club, he started
with two of the swimming
groups, the Newport Leather
Jackets and the Knackers.
He was a complete novice,
having never competed or
trained as a swimmer.
“They would swim out to
a buoy, affectionately known
as ‘Kylie’, which was about
250 metres out to sea,” said
John. “I really had my doubts I
would be able to make it. However,
I gradually mastered it.”
His first ocean swim was
at Bilgola in 2014 was an eyeopener.
“It was a 1.5km swim
and I hadn’t trained enough
for the conditions. I reckon I
nearly drowned and I vowed I
would never put myself in that
position again.”
John competed in many Sydney
ocean swims to improve
his skills. He also went to
stroke correction with Marathon
Swimming Hall of Fame
coach Vlad Mravec at Andrew
Boy Charlton Pool (ABC), Woolloomooloo.
John then entered the
Rottnest Channel Swim, an
open-water 29.7km swim
from Cottesloe Beach in WA
to Rottnest Island. At this
time, the longest swim he had
completed was The Big Swim
(2.7km).
Just a few years later, and
after logging 30km of ocean
swims each week, he signed
on to swim the English Channel
in July.
“The Channel is 33km; my
expected time was 15 hours,
but I took provisions for an 18-
hour swim,” said John.
His time? “13 hours, 14 minutes,”
he said with modesty.
John has a message for this
year’s series entrants:
“Set a goal, even if you are
not sure how to complete it. It
does not have to be extreme,
like swimming the English
Channel. Doing this will
ensure you meet new friends,
stretch your ability, mentally
and physically, and have you
doing things you did not think
you were capable of.”
– Rob Pegley & John Guthrie
14 JANUARY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991