FISH OUT OF WATER | Tuggeranong Vikings Swim Club
A few words from one of our affiliated sports clubs, the Tuggeranong Vikings Swim Club.
How do swimmers train when there’s no water? Tuggeranong Vikings Swim Club members have had to become an inventive bunch over the past five months during COVID-19 restrictions.
When pools shut down in March, we faced a long period of uncertainty. Swimmers lucky enough to have a backyard pool embraced the cold and tied bungee cords to their waists to enable them to swim in a stationary position. Others braved what lurks beneath at Lake Burley Griffin.
The club started an online ‘dryland’ program (dryland is swimmer language for fitness/strength activities undertaken outside water). Swimmers joined in with online dryland sessions via Zoom until we were able to meet in person. Once the initial shutdown eased and small group activities were allowed, our dedicated coaches ran dryland and running sessions around Lake Tuggeranong. It was a great way for the squad to maintain fitness and spend time together – and for a bunch of swimmers, we became pretty good runners!
Swimming may be a mostly individual sport, but anyone involved in a swim squad will tell you the importance of the tight friendships forged with teammates. Our swimmers train many hours to compete at international, national, state and local level; and were devastated by the cancellation of major events they had worked so hard to qualify for. With the added challenges of adapting to online schooling and other restrictions, there was never a more important time for our club to bond together.
Restrictions were eased enough to enable us to start swimming again in June, but limited numbers meant scheduling was challenging. Our home pool at Tuggeranong Lakeside Leisure Centre remained closed for maintenance so we had to be adaptable to find pool space. With the work of a very dedicated committee and support from the ACT Government and pool operators, we were able to swim at a combination of ANU Club Lime, Canberra Olympic (Civic), Erindale Leisure Centre and the new Stromlo Leisure Centre.
Like most other sporting clubs this year, we face financial and other concerns. Despite the huge challenges Vikings Group has endured, they continue to back our club and so many other sporting groups in Tuggeranong. We are grateful for their exceptional support at the best of times, and no more so than now.
We can’t wait for our return home to the Tuggeranong Lakeside Leisure Centre at the end of August. Once there, we will be ready to welcome new swimmers who would like to try squad swimming. More information is available on our website and Facebook page. Our mantra for this year is “just keep swimming”!