Category: Masters Swimming

Gill’s still making a splash


Masters Swimming, Penguin members

Gill sitting in an armchair, wearing swimming costume, swim hat and goggles

 

Such an inspiration, our masters swimmer Gill has been featured in the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust ‘s Fit for Life series…

Like to get in shape but worried you are too old or out of puff to start? Here is our fifth Fit for Life interview with a Londoner who shares their life-long love of exercise.

Gill Turner enjoys hanging out with the Penguins three times week. The west London swimming club has been a home from home for the 80-year-old for more than half a century and she emerges from the pool ‘tired but happy’ after the hour-long sessions.

“I swim in the ‘slow’ lane and we usually complete anywhere between 60-80 lengths depending on how much energy we have. I’ve made some nice friends over the years and enjoy the social side of the club.”

It seems age is just a number to the octogenarian who “likes a challenge” in the shape of long-distance walking, trail marathons and taking the somewhat murky plunge into open water swimming with two of her  friends, the self-styled Wet Suit Wonders.

“I like to think of these things as an experience and it was certainly that trying to get in and out of my wet suit for the first time. I haven’t made my mind up about open water swimming yet although the greatest danger we faced was a couple of angry ducks who didn’t like sharing the lake with us.”

Gill has also completed several long distance walks including the 192-mile Coast to Coast, the West Highlands Way and the mountainous Tramuntana Trail in Mallorca.

Her sports mad dad instilled a love of exercise in her but she says it is important to find an activity that you enjoy.

“It’s what I would call a healthy habit and is part of my routine along with several long walks a week. I don’t pay much attention to my age. You shouldn’t use it as an excuse not to do things.”

 

The article is published on the NHS website here: https://www.lnwh.nhs.uk/news/gills-still-making-a-splash-8076

It also featured in local press: 

Ealing Times: https://www.ealingtimes.co.uk/news/23358723.swimmer-gill-still-making-splash-80-penguins/

Hillingdon Times: https://www.hillingdontimes.co.uk/news/23358723.swimmer-gill-still-making-splash-80-penguins/

Ealing Today: http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=congillturner001.htm

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.

 

Making a splash at Divers Cove


Masters Swimming, Open Water Swimming

The bank holiday on Monday 29 August meant there was no pool training so a posse of Penguin masters swimmers headed to Divers Cove in Surrey for an open water swim instead.

This was new venue for all of us, and it’s an impressive set-up with two courses – 650m and 450m – changing rooms, toilets, hot tubs and saunas. It’s also a glorious setting for a swim in the early evening sun.

Divers Cove

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The Divers Cove website gave the water temperature as 24.6C, the board at reception said 21.6C but in reality it was cooler still. We were mostly without wetsuits and while penguins (the birds) are hardy creatures, Sarah’s lips were turning blue by the time she’d swum two laps!

Everyone else tolerated the chilly water more comfortably and, with laps completed, took advantage of the raised observation deck for some good old-fashioned jumping in. Never too old to make a splash!

 

Find out more about swimming at Divers Cove.

My Penguin Story: Karen Brown


Masters Swimming, Penguin 100 Centenary, Penguin members

 

My journey with the Penguins began when I was looking for a good swimming club to represent at Masters swimming.

As a young girl I was brought up in Australia where I swam at all sorts of venues, from swimming pools to the sea and rivers. I also did competitive swimming there for many years for a club in Adelaide, South Australia called The Reynella ASC (now South Coast Swimming Club).

When I came to this country I wanted to continue swimming so I did some training, first on my own, and then as my fitness grew I started looking for a club. This was before the internet was widespread but I managed to get a list of masters swimming clubs in London. I phoned the number for the (then) Hammersmith Penguin Swimming Club, a Mr Ian Williams answered and the rest is history!

Ian Williams was friendly on the phone and very encouraging so I popped along with my then husband Graham to the Janet Adegoke swimming pool in West London to have a swim with other members. The people there were warm and welcoming and soon I fell in love with the Club.

I count the late Ian Williams and his daughter Tara, Louis Lemieux, the late Ron Turner, and Sarah and Johnny Wren as my mentors, some of whom went to the first gala that I participated in at Barnet Copthall pool in June 2000 where I won gold and silver medals. The way they cheered me on in my event was awesome. Another person I met for the first time was the late John ‘Shakey’ Lake. He inspired me also.

I toured the country representing West London Penguin in many events between 2000 and 2014.

 

Karen Brown and other swimmers in the pool ready to start a backstroke race
Karen, in the red Penguin swim cap.

 

I swam in all kinds of meets from the Southern Counties long and short course, Middlesex Masters, Isle of Wight Masters, British Masters long course championships and the Open short course championships, gaining a number of medals.

I had some successes at national level, all in the backstroke, winning gold in the Ladies 55-59 years 200m backstroke at the ASA National Masters Championships in 2011.

In September 2021 I saw the Barnet Copthall Sprint Meet listed on the Swim England website. After careful consideration I entered three events. My age group is now 65 to 69 years, but nothing could prepare me for the shock of how slow my times were: I swam 100m backstroke in 2:19:65, 50m backstroke in 1:06:45, and 50m freestyle in 29.51. So slow! But, bearing in mind I haven’t competed for 10 years or swum in a pool for more than five years until April 2021 when Boris Johnson said we could use the leisure centres again, perhaps the times weren’t so bad.

I met all the masters swimmers that I used to know and had a good day, and I came away with a gold, silver and bronze, so I’m still a medal-winning Penguin!

 

This post is part of our Penguin100 series of stories from Penguins past and present, sharing what being a member of the Club means to them as we celebrate our centenary.