It is official. I have just received notification from the Channel Swimmers and Pilots Federation that I was the oldest swimmer from any nation to complete a solo crossing of the English Channel last Channel Swimming Season. Glen and Julie Langford who were part of my support team and who live in England will be attending to annual dinner to accept the award.
Chris Shapland recently joined Karen Ghidella from KidsToDo.com.au for a LIVE online video chat. We recorded the event and posted it right here for you to watch on demand.
Watch the video of the recent live chat about swimming lessons with Chris Shapland. The chat was hosted by KidsToDo.com.au and includes some helpful information about problems parents and children face while learning to swim.
On Sunday the 4th of May 2014 I competed in the 65-69 years age group in the 2.2 kilometre swim from Watego’s Beach to the Byron Bay surf club. This annual swim attracts some 900 competitors and the 2014 swim marked the 26th anniversary of the race.
On Monday I attended the funeral for Greg Brough, a good friend for over forty years. Greg was a larger than life character who lit up a room when he entered. He was the Gold Coast’s first Olympian and won a Bronze medal in the men’s 1500m freestyle at the Mexico Olympics and a bronze medal in the men’s 400m freestyle at the 1970 Commonwealth games.
Winning three gold medals (surf race, rescue tube and the board rescue) in my age group at the recent Queensland Masters State Championships held at North Kirra made me very happy and reinforces what I have written many times which is, “being able to swim is a life long life saving skill.” The Championships provided a platform that verified the statement. On Friday, 7 March 2014, Surf Lifesaving Queensland held their Championships, which invites all proficient surf lifesavers to compete and test basic lifesaving skills against their peers.
Over the last six and a half decades I have heard some wonderful stories in relation to children and adults learning to swim. This letter to me from Gaye about her and her daughters experience at the Shapland Swim School Warner is one of those wonderful stories.
Elise Hoyer, a swimming teacher at the Shapland Swim School Sinnamon Park displays the medals she won at the recent Masters Swimming Australia 2013 National Championships. She competed in the 18 to 24 age group at the Sydney Olympic Park pool. Elise won gold in the 100 meters butterfly, a bronze in the 200 Individual Medley and placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the 50 meters fly, 100 meters freestyle and 50 meters freestyle respectively.
Karen Fowke recently returned from her working holiday in East Timor. Normally lessons are held in the ocean however weather conditions made it impossible to utilise that water. Instead, Karen says, “I only ended up working for a total of 15 hours because I spent most of the first week helping a local tradesman fix the out of ground pool.”
Come join us at the Pregnancy, Babies & Children’s Expo. The Expo runs Friday 21 to Sunday 23 June, 2013. You can find us at booth G13, where we’ll be waiting to answer any of your questions.