Report by Jeanette Droop
Nine Vikings set their alarms for an early morning dip in Lake Burley Griffin on Sunday, 10 February 2013 as competitors in the 2.5 km or 5km Sri Chinmoy Lake Swims.
All elements were aligned making for an excellent swim: the sun was hot, very few clouds and no wind making the water smooth and reflective. Not a wave or crinkle to be seen. Terrific conditions made better by water temperature that was ‘just right’ — not too cold and not too hot.
Greg Gourley, Anne Smyth and Caz Makin took the plunge first to compete in the 5km event. This was Anne and Caroline’s first attempt at the 5km distance, and all three Vikings were pleased with their efforts and placed in their age groups. Greg and Caz perhaps could have done with a GPS unit installed on their caps, as Greg headed for the National Gallery after the first buoy, until noticing he was alone and paddled back on course, whilst Caz swam past the last turning buoy on at Black Mountain, heading for Weston Park before the canoe guide led her back on course.
The 2.5 km event started shortly after the 5km event. Vikings had 6 competitors, all with the common sense to stay on the wing at the start to find clear water quickly. Nicolee took off well and stayed out in front for the Vikings contingent all of the race, and was the first Viking in at the end of the course. Bill was both surprised and pleased with his effort as he swam the course three minutes faster than he had predicted – a great result, reflecting the hard work he has been making at training and the practice Wednesday night lake sessions.
This year there were no Viking competitors in the 500m event. All of our swimmers enjoyed the event and were happy with their times. We achieved a significant number of top three placings. The support shown by our cheer squad is always welcome and appreciated: thank you!
This is a great low key event – something for all club members to consider for 2014.
Our final results were:
GREG GOURLEY – 5km – 1:28:04 – 2nd place Male over 50
ANNE SMYTH – 5km – 1:29:01 – 1st place Female over 50
CAZ MAKIN – 5km – 1:31:32 – 2nd place Female under 50
JEANETTE DROOP – 2.5km – 43:40 – 1st place Female over 50
ANN REID – 2.5km – 44:42 – 2nd place Female over 50
NICOLEE MARTIN – 2.5km – 42:43 – 2nd place Female under 50
ATSUKO MCGOWAN – 2.5km – 43:50 – 3rd place Female under 50
BILL EVERSHAM – 2.5km – 52:56 – 5th place Male over 50
KRISTEN LEYDON – 2.5km – 57:52 – 12th place Female under 50
An official Sri Chinmoy race report is available, along with full results by age category for all three distances and a photo album from the finish line.
You can also view photos of our Vikings on Facebook (no login required).
