Author: Sarah Wren

Under-12s Development Tournament


Water Polo

The new look under-12 team from our junior water polo section in Hillingdon got their first taste of tournament play on Sunday 9 October at Whitgift School in Croydon.

 

Water polo players on the poolside wearing their tournament medals

 

Our squad was one of three teams to take part in a development tournament organised by London Swimming with the aim of giving young players experience and practice as a team.

 

Water polo players at the end of the polo listening to instructions from their coach on the poolside

 

With a number of new faces in the squad, it was a great opportunity to get to know each other a bit more and build team spirit and ahead of the London League Winter Championships starting in December.

 

water polo player smiling in anticipation of their first ever water polo match

 

The squad played several games against Croydon and Lewisham. They grew in confidence as the tournament went on, quickly learning about match play and gaining lots of experience from the afternoon.

The players were: Anaiya, Avi, Charlie, Charlotte, Eira Grant, Eleanor, Tuline, Zachariah.

 

water polo player holding a small trophy with their coach by their side
Congratulations to Tuline who was named as Hillingdon Penguin’s MVP by the team’s coach Adam Maidment.

 

Thank you to Coach Adam for his patience and hard work developing these players, to Mike and Lynsey for looking after the team and to all the parents for their support.

We are grateful as always to London Swimming for providing this brilliant opportunity, Chris Martin for organising the tournament and Ultan Brennan for being a very welcoming and efficient event organiser on the day.

Match report: Hillingdon Penguin Under 13s at the London Water Polo League Summer Championships


London League, Water Polo

It’s been a summer of success for the Hillingdon Penguin  U13s after finishing as runners-up in Division 1 of the LWPL Summer Champs.

Sunday 11 September 2022 saw the final round of fixtures for the squad who travelled to Whitgift School in Croydon in fine form and cheered on by parents, coaches and supporters.

Young water polo players in a team photo
Under 13 team

 

Going into the weekend, the U13s were two points clear of nearest rivals Latymer Penguin – the team from our Club’s other junior water polo section – after a series of strong performances in the previous three rounds of the competition.

Kingston were the first opponents of the day for the Hillingdon Penguins who held a 3-1 lead at half time. But the Surrey side fought back to take a 4-3 lead before Hillingdon Penguin struck once again to level the scores going into the final few minutes of play. In the end it was Kingston who found the winner with only a few seconds left on the clock,  taking the match 5-4.

The second Hillingdon Penguin game of the day saw the U13s face Northampton, and they put in a very strong first half performance to lead 3-0 at the interval. Two further goals after the break saw them win the game 5-0.

Water polo match
Hillingdon Penguin in action

 

Lewisham were the next opponents and a fiercely fought opening half saw the teams head into the break level at 1-1. But Hillingdon Penguin gave a confident second half display that brought three quick goals and a 4-1 win to set up a clash with Latymer Penguin.

Latymer took control of the game as early as the opening minute and just after the break, held a 4-0 lead. However Hillingdon kept fighting and pulled back two quick goals.  Further goals late in the game saw Latymer claim a 6-2 victory and with it the Championship title. Hillingdon made it a Penguin double, finishing as runners up.

With a number of Hillingdon Penguin players now making the step up to U14s this was the last tournament in which many of the team were playing together, but the development of the players over the course of the past year has been clear for all to see. Well done all.

Hillingdon Penguin U13 squad: Aronas Alisauskas, Anaiya Athwal, Tuline Dagher, Zain Garnie, Eira Grant, Charlotte Hartwell, Amira Kabbou, Zayd Khan,  Jacob Lillie, Eleanor McGeady, Ioanna Mouratidi, Dominic O’Neill Cuadros, Charlie Symons.

Two boys holding the most valuable player cup with their coach
Zain and Zayd recognised as Hillingdon Penguin’s Most Valuable Players by their coach Adam.

 

Report by Mike Hartwell.

Find out more about playing junior water polo with West London Penguin.

Henley Thames Marathon, by Jennifer Gambrell


Masters Swimming, Open Water Swimming

I was lucky enough to have snagged a spot in Henley Swim’s Thames Marathon on 14 of August 2022. It was a cloudless, gorgeous sunrise as I pulled into Marlow for the race packet pick-up and coach transfer from the event village to the start.

There were over 600 swimmers – including me – participating in the full marathon distance of 13km, and about 200 participating in the half distance of 5.5km which I swam last year.

Wetsuits were, thanks to the heat wave, made optional, but I stayed in mine for buoyancy and sun protection more than anything else!

sunrise over the River Thames
The lovely sunrise at the finish line in Marlow from where we were transported 13km to the start line in Henley-on-Thames

 

The swim stretched along a beautiful part of the Thames from Henley to Marlow. I certainly wasn’t bored while swimming: there were gorgeous homes, grazing livestock, people walking along the river, and houseboats to keep me entertained. With three locks to cross on foot (with amazingly stocked fuel stations at each one!), the swim flew by. I said to some cows as I paddled along, “This might be the best way to spend a warm Sunday in August.”

Spectators were able to join at the final lock, about 1,800m from the finish, and walk alongside the river the rest of the way. It was so festive and a great moral boost.

The finish line was upbeat and full of great food options and the ever-important medal and t-shirt.

swimmer wearing a medal on the river bank
With my finisher’s medal

 

For anyone curious about the swim, both distances sell out early – I booked my spot last year in January. The first wave starts around 7am, so you will need to spend the night in Marlow the night before if you are relying on public transport to get you there.

I did most of my training in the pool mixed in with open water sessions at West Reservoir Centre. My goal was to swim at least the marathon distance in total each week, and this made the actual swim more than doable.

I swam to raise money for Swim Tayka, a charity that holds learn-to-swim and water awareness lessons in disadvantaged communities around the world. 

My results: 4 hours, 6 minutes, including about 30 minutes eating Haribo at various fuel stations.  I was 163/615 overall, and 50/262 in the female category.

Penguins rule the waves


Masters Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Penguin 100 Centenary

On Sunday 17 July 2022 a posse of Penguin masters swimmers returned to Herne Bay for the annual Active Life Pier to Pier swim, this year joined by some of our water polo girls.

In contrast to the grey skies and cold wind that dominated the swim last summer, it was cloudless sunshine all the way this time.

We had swimmers in all three distances – 750m, 1,5k and 3k – and we rounded things off with fish and chips on the beach afterwards. (And we may have snuck in some ice creams too!)

What a fab day!

Herne Bay Pier to Pier swim

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Want to get one of our Penguin 100 t-shirts? Here’s how.

 

Results

750m

Sarah Wren – 16.07 – Super Vet – overall 4th – category 1st – gender 1st

Johnny Wren – 16.38 – Super Vet – overall 7th – category 3rd – gender 4th

Katie Collins – 16.52 Vet – overall 9th – category 1st – gender 4th

 

1.5k

David Fallon – 29.17 – Super Vet – overall 5th – category 2nd – gender 3rd

Emma Shaw – 29.19 – Senior – overall 6th – category 3rd – gender 3rd

David Bassett – 35.27 – Vintage- overall 22nd – category 5th – gender 15th

Suzie Carter – 36.14 – Vet – overall 23 – category 2nd – gender 8th

Ed Tricklebank – 44.09 – Vet – overall 38th – category 7th – gender 6th

 

3km

Jesse Kelly – 43.39 – Super Vet – overall 2nd – category 1st – gender 2nd

Fran Lou – 50.44 – Vet – overall 18th – category 2nd – gender 6th

Ashley Henley – 1.11.54 – Vet – overall 74th – category 11th – gender 32nd

 

Find out more about the Active Life Pier to Pier swim.

 

Reunion at the BWLP Anniversary


Penguin 100 Centenary, PenguINspiration, Water Polo

9 July 2022.

The sun was shining on Parliament Hill Lido for the British Water Polo League’s anniversary celebrations, and what a fantastic setting to bring together over 400 masters players, their families and friends from some of the League’s founding clubs.

The event, which marked 60 years of the men’s national league water polo and 35 years of the women’s competition, saw over-40s teammates and old rivals playing in games across the day.

Men on the poolside

For the Penguin men (we didn’t have women’s team participating) it was a truly memorable reunion, bringing back all the camaraderie and banter from when they were playing together regularly.  And it was lovely to see so many supporters there from across the Club. There was a real sense of the Penguin family.

As an added bonus we won the men’s tournament!

The day included two showpiece matches from the current GB men’s squad – featuring our own James Salt – versus the GB 2012 Olympic team, and the current GB girls. 

Water polo player in the pool
James Salt

 

Thank you to all the BWPL organisers, including Penguin Steve Baker, who did such a great job in planning and running the day. 

Penguin players reunited at the BWPL Anniversary celebration

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With thanks to Trevor Hyde/BWPL for a number of the photos.

If you’d like to get your hands on some of the Penguin 100 kit so beautifully modelled by our masters players, take a look here.

 

PS: Jerome up to his old tricks

Man photobombing photo of water polo team on the poolside.