Category: Masters Swimming

Penguin goes virtual


Masters Swimming, Uncategorized, Water Polo

The pools have closed so Penguin training has gone virtual.

Hillingdon Penguin water polo coaches are keeping in touch with players in their various teams, offering fitness workouts, fun challenges and Zoom* sessions to keep spirits up.

Screen shots of Penguin online sessions

Head Water Polo Coach Claudio Palumbo and his team at Latymer Penguin have just launched strength and conditioning six days a week. These mixed sessions are for U12s, U14s, U16s and senior members, with some dedicated times for junior girls and senior women.
These workouts are open to ALL members of Penguin. To participate contact Junior Water Polo Latymer via the Contact Us page.

Our masters swimmers are also keeping fit via Zoom with a weekly strength and conditioning workout and a midweek stretch class. On Friday nights they swap the physical for the social with a post swimming pub night – without the swimming and with the pub, of course!

 

*Zoom: a cultural reference

Not so long ago, and for those old enough to remember, Zoom was a rocket-shaped ice lolly first sold in 1962 and a song released in 1982 by Fat Larry’s Band. Since the lockdown for Coronavirus COVID-19 in March 2019 it’s become a household name for getting people together.

 

update #2: coronavirus COVID-19


Masters Swimming, Water Polo

Sadly we are now suspending Penguin swimming and water polo training until further notice.

Swim England’s latest statement says:

“Having further reviewed the guidance, it is Swim England’s interpretation that club activity falls into the ‘public gathering’ category and therefore it is strongly advising clubs to consider cancelling or postponing activity – including events – until the end of May.”

Swim England statement regarding coronavirus outbreak

 

We are very much looking forward to starting our activities again at the first opportunity. Take care, and do not hesitate to get in touch with other Penguins on WhatsApp or email, if you need anything, such as talking about front crawl technique, the ideal ball pressure, gossip, or other silly stuff.

Please bear with us while we work through the financial implications of the situation in relation to your subscription payments.

If you have questions please contact your relevant team manager : Sue, Claudio, Emma, Grimbo or Johnny.

Best wishes

Louis

Louis Lemieux
President, West London Penguin Swimming & Water Polo Club

Update: coronavirus COVID-19


Masters Swimming, Water Polo

Following tonights’ Government announcement, the Penguin Committee has decided to postpone* the Club’s AGM on Wednesday 18th March 2020.

Until the AGM can be rearranged the existing Committee will remain in place to manage the running of the Club.

In the absence of the AGM at this time, we wish to report that the Club remains robust financially and we are deferring the changes in subscription rates for senior members that were approved at the 2019 AGM. This reflects our current uncertainty regarding pool closures in the coming weeks. We will review our position as circumstances change.

Regarding training sessions, we are closely monitoring guidance from the Government, Swim England and our pool/school operators and we will maintain sessions whilst guidance say that it is permitted to do so.

Swim England have just published a statement containing this:
“At present the Government has not closed schools or restricted school activity and therefore we do not see any reason why clubs should not continue with their training programmes in their own environment within the guidelines of the facility.”

*The Club rules governing our decision are:

Rule 9.1 the AGM shall be held in March.
Rule 13.1 The Committee shall have power to make, repeal and amend such by-laws as they may, from time to time, consider necessary for the well being of the Club. Such by laws, repeals and amendments shall have effect until set aside by the Committee or at a General Meeting.

Yesterday the Committee made a new by-law allowing for the eventuality of postponing the AGM due to coronavirus COVID-19.

Swimming with Penguins: a flashback to the 1970s…


History, Masters Swimming

Tara Manning (Williams) fondly shares her memory of swimming with the Club in the 1970s…

I remember swimming twice a week at first. I had been to the pool with my school and heard about the club. It was the late 1970s and had not long become the Penguins (formerly the Hammersmith Ladies SC) and I recall that it grew very quickly.

The annual club championships were hotly contested at several age groups. With my parents helping to run things, I can remember our house being full of the various trophies and medals before the event.

 

Swimmers holding trophies aloft
Penguin juniors with trophies from the Club championships in c1977

 

The first coaches I can remember were Mr Graham and his daughter Karen and Mr Street. Some time after Jim Marjoram started and my dad started helping out poolside too.

Gala time was great fun; imagine now, a  minivan full of children zipping around London to various events with not a seat belt in sight. We were a noisy team and loved supporting each other from the poolside. At this point we had club costumes and, I think,  club bags.

 

Tara in Penguin club costume, c1977
Tara in Penguin club costume, with friend, c1977

 

We also got very excited for the end of year disco held in a local school hall.

The Club developed further as we got older. Jim introduced land conditioning sessions and a few of us went to the Queen Mother pool in Victoria to train with Otter SC.

As time passed many of the juniors left, either giving up swimming as a sport or, like myself, to go on to further education. For me it was the end of that chapter with Penguins, but not the end of my story as I later returned as a masters swimmer for many years.