CHAMPIONS & EVERYDAY HEROES The 25th Anniversary of the Rottnest Channel Swim
Deborah Weetman
A special project commissioned by the Rottnest Channel Swim Association to commemorate twenty-five years of the Rottnest Channel Swim. 2 Champions & Everyday Heroes CONTENTS
5 Foreword 7 Introduction 9 Nyungar Whadjuk Country: Wadjemup 13 History of the Swim 27 The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 43 Fremantle Port Authority 47 The Volunteers 55 The Swimmers 97 The Role of the Coach 101 The Support Crews 111 Rottnest Island 119 Register of Solo Swims 1956–2014 126 Bibliography 127 Acknowledgements 127 Photo Credits
3
FOREWORD
The Rottnest Channel Swim is the largest annual event held in my electorate of Cottesloe and I am delighted to have been involved with it for many years now. In 1996, I was approached by the Rottnest Channel Swim Association to become the official starter for the race and I happily accepted the role. I have remained in this position for the past eighteen years, almost the entire time I have served as the Member for Cottesloe. There is such a great community spirit within the Rottnest Channel Swim; it is my favourite event of the year and I love being a part of it. I have also helped the Association with other issues such as the use of the beach and the decision to cancel the race in 2007, due to very bad weather. In the mid-1990s my wife, Lyn, purchased a pair of ‘red fish’ board shorts for me and I have worn them on race day ever since; in fact, they are reserved for this occasion. I broke with tradition in 2013 when I wore the North Cottesloe Primary School’s centenary board shorts but returned to wearing the ‘famous red shorts’ in 2014. They have been repaired a number of times because they have become a bit old and worn! I remember the scene many years ago when the race started in the dark and all the boats used to come into the shore to meet their swimmers; the lights from the boats made it look like a tinsel land. Since introducing the electronic time tags, swimmers now start by time rather than by line so as the swimmers push into the water, ready to start, I am sometimes waist-deep in water by the time I blow the hooter. One year a big wave loomed behind me, which nobody thought to warn me about, and smashed over the top of me — I was drenched! Due to the size of the event, the start of the race takes more than two hours because of the staggered start times. Sometimes entrants are shaking with anticipation; they are so excited to be part of the Rottnest Channel Swim. I am so impressed by the Rottnest Channel Swim organisers and volunteers who run an extremely professional event each year, with a huge emphasis on safety. And, of course, the race would not be a race without the dedication of the support crews, skippers, paddlers and swimmers who turn up every year. Swimmers travel from the eastern states and all over the world to participate in this unique event and range from teenagers to people in their seventies. The race caters for all levels of swimming ability, which means that champion swimmers arrive at Rottnest quickly while others take seven hours or more to get there, but they still make it. I have friends who enter the race every year, such as my friend from primary and secondary school, Clive Fraser, who flies in from Melbourne. I love the good humour on race day; swim teams and crews all dressed in crazy colours, sporting painted signs. This year I attended a fundraising dinner the evening before the Rottnest Channel Swim race and could not believe how many people had to leave early because they were involved with the Rottnest Channel Swim, in one capacity or another. Although the Rottnest Channel Swim started in a modest way, in 1991, it has grown into the largest open water marathon event in the world where both swimming champions and everyday people can enjoy the thrill of competing. I believe the Rottnest Channel Swim exemplifies the spirit of Western Australia, offering opportunities for excellence as well as strong support for mass participation events.
Hon. Colin J. Barnett, M.L.A., Member for Cottesloe, Premier of Western Australia
LEFT: Colin Barnett starting a wave of solo swimmers in 2013.
5
INTRODUCTION
We are so lucky to live in Perth and have the island just across the water. The Rottnest Channel Swim Association runs the best open water swim in the world. I love the fact that the everyday person can take it on as a challenge and succeed. (Ceinwen Roberts)
If you stand on Cottesloe Beach, at the foot of the iconic Indiana Tea House, and look beyond the churning waves to the horizon, you will see an island. It sits on the edge of the world, between the sky and the sea, rising out of the ocean with majestic beauty. This is Rottnest Island or Wadjemup.
LEFT: Swimmers congratulate eachother at the finish line. RIGHT: Wave of swimmers leave Cottesloe Beach.
7 LEFT: The scene on Cottesloe Beach at the start of the race is incredible. Thousands of people are cheering everyone off. (Colin Barnett)
The year 2015 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the official Rottnest Channel Swim event, a 19.7 kilometre race from Cottesloe Beach to the clear blue waters of Thomson Bay, Rottnest. From its humble beginnings of forty-four competitors in 1991, the open-water marathon now boasts the largest number of swim participants, for an event of its type, in the world.
The scene on Cottesloe Beach at the start of the race is incredible. Thousands of people are cheering everyone off then there are thousands of people waiting on Rottnest Island to greet the competitors when they come in. There is great camaraderie. (Colin Barnett)
Over 3000 swimmers applied to enter the 2014 Rottnest Channel Swim Race, with 2300 swimmers participating, in keeping with the Rottnest Channel Swim’s guidelines on number of swimmers and support boats allowed in the water at one time. Marathon swimming is not for the faint-hearted. It is an endurance sport which comes with the risk of sunburn, seawater inhalation, seasickness, fatigue, hypothermia, turbulent weather conditions and the possibility of sharks. However, this does not deter open water swimmers who share a common bond, a passion for their sport. They exemplify courage and persistence; failure does not enter their vocabulary. Successful old-hand soloists train younger swimmers for the Rottnest Channel Swim race; they want to pass on their knowledge and see others succeed. The following pages describe how the race evolved from a challenge undertaken in 1956 to the establishment of the Rottnest Channel Swim Association (RCSA) in 1989 and the
8 Champions & Everyday Heroes creation of an event which attracts swimmers from all over the world. Many people assist with the event, ranging from sponsors and official organisations, such as the Fremantle Port Authority, to the hundreds of volunteers who help in the days leading up to and during the event. Of course the event would not be an event without the swimmers and their support crews. The swimmers featured in this book embody the spirit of the Rottnest Channel Swim. Their voices represent the different types of people who have entered the swim over the last twenty-five years and include competitive marathon swimmers and local heroes along with those seeking personal challenges or undertaking charity swims, and team swimmers who just want to have fun. Their stories highlight the training regimes required for a long- distance swim, the conditions they face in the open water, the mental battle of swimming for so many hours and the celebration of success. ‘Rottnest, for some, is not just the swim but who they become in the process. It is about personal endeavour.’ (Shelley Taylor-Smith)
NYUNGAR WHADJUK COUNTRY: WADJEMUP
Whadjuk Country extends along the coastline from approximately Rockingham (forty-seven kilometres south of Perth) to Jurien Bay (220 kilometres north of Perth) and reaches inland approximately thirty-three kilometres, as far as the Darling Scarp. Stories from long ago tell of Nyungar Whadjuk people walking along sandbanks from Walyalup (Fremantle area) to a hill or high point, known as Wadjemup, which literally translates to Place of the Emu. Professor Len Collard, a Nyungar linguist and cultural specialist, breaks down the meaning of Wadjemup
LEFT: Colin Barnett wearing his famous ‘red fish’ board shorts at race start.
Introduction 9 to ‘Wadj’ (also spelled ‘Weitch’) meaning ‘emu’, and ‘up’ meaning ‘place of’. It was a place of RIGHT: Map of Nyungar Whadjuk Country. ‘Aboriginal celebration and cultural healing’. Approximately 6000 to 10,000 years ago, Wadjemup separated from the mainland, after the sea levels rose, and became an island. Ancient Aboriginal artefacts from this time, possibly tens of thousands of years old, were discovered at Wadjemup indicating its role as a place of ceremony. Europeans first came upon Wadjemup during the seventeenth century when Dutch navigators were searching for a shorter route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia. Samuel Volkerson and his Dutch crew were the first Europeans to land on Wadjemup in 1658 and in 1696 Willem de Vlamingh, the next recorded visitor, named the island Rottnest, after he mistook the abundance of quokkas for giant rats. The British first settled on Wadjemup in 1829, shortly after the Swan River Colony was established, and adopted the Dutch name of Rottnest for the island across the water. The colonial secretary decided, in 1839, to make Rottnest Island a penal establishment for Aboriginal people. The island served as a prison for almost one hundred years, where approximately 3700 Aboriginal men and boys were imprisoned, predominantly Nyungar men from the Swan and Avon Valley regions plus the South-West. After discovery of gold in Kalgoorlie in the 1850s, men of the Wongi peoples and over 1000 men from the Pilbara and Kimberley region were also imprisoned on Rottnest Island; this included important men from their communities, elders, lore men and warriors. More than 370 prisoners died during incarceration. The Aboriginal prisoners constructed a large number of the buildings which stand on Rottnest today, including the seawall, the lighthouses and other heritage buildings. The prison was closed in 1904, however prisoners were still used to build roads and carry out other work until 1931. The year 2014 was marked as being very special in the Rottnest Channel Swim. The first ‘Welcome to Country’ was performed by Ingrid Cumming at the pre-race briefing at Challenge Stadium. ‘I was very honoured and excited to be part of it.’ A Welcome to Country was traditionally performed to newcomers. It is both a spiritual and physical induction and introduction to Country, giving the newcomers a sense of connection and space. Ingrid introduced swimmers to the spiritual ancestors to offer a blessing for their momentous journey across the ocean and to help facilitate a connection to Country. Ingrid felt a great respect for the swimmers; she wanted to acknowledge them, on a spiritual level, and ensure their safe passage to Wadjemup. ‘I was very humbled to give them the blessing and, in the aim of reconciliation, I want to share the knowledge and connections.’ On 22 February 2014 a crowd of swimmers and supporters gathered at Cottesloe Beach and Professor Len Collard performed a Welcome to Country to let the spirits of the land know they had guests from another land and it was fine for them to be there. This was followed by a smoking ceremony to let those at Rottnest know to expect the swimmers soon. The exquisite smells of the balga (grass) tree wafted through the air. ‘I could still smell this about four kilometres out to sea as the breeze was offshore and blowing the smoke towards Rottnest.’ (James Back) Young men from Lockridge Senior High School also performed the Wirn Yumby, a spirit dance to ward away evil spirits from the swimmers and protect them on their journey to Rottnest. To reinforce their support for the Rottnest Channel Swim, the Nyungar community entered the first all-Aboriginal swim team into the 2014 race. They completed the crossing admirably and exited the water together, draped in the Aboriginal flag. Dennis Simmons, a proud Nyungar man and team leader for the swim team, announced to spectators as they crossed the finish line at Thomson Bay, ‘For years our men — our heroes, leaders and champions — have been swimming from this place to freedom. In a true act of reconciliation we are now swimming back here’.
10 Champions & Everyday Heroes Introduction 11 12 Champions & Everyday Heroes HISTORY OF THE SWIM
If you can swim to Rottnest, you can do anything. So many people’s lives have changed because they did the Rottnest Channel Swim. (John Whitehead)
Gerd von Dincklage, a professional spearfisherman, made the first ever recorded solo crossing of the Rottnest Channel on 24 January 1956. He was born and raised in Sri Lanka, the son of a German baron. His passion for the ocean brought him to Western Australia in 1955 where he hoped to procure a job as a diver. Instead, he accepted a position as a clerk. However, he continued his ocean adventures, which caught the attention of his new friend, the late Hugh Schmitt, a newspaper reporter for the Weekend Mail.
LEFT: Gerd von Dincklage. RIGHT: Gerd having a snack during his heroic swim
13 LEFT: The first map of the finish line at Rottnest Island,1991.
BELOW: Hugh Schmitt and internationally renowned cartoonist, Paul Rigby, rubbed petroleum jelly into Gerd’s shoulder, back and leg muscles before the swim.
During a pre-Christmas drink at The Quokka Arms on Rottnest Island, Gerd enthusiastically purchased round after round of beer for his friends. Hugh suggested he wouldn’t have enough money for his ferry ride home and would have to swim back to Perth. Gerd took this as a personal challenge and decided he would become the first person to swim across the Rottnest Channel. Hugh warned him about the notorious rips and sharks but nothing would deter him. WA Newspapers agreed to organise the swim and loan their Halvorsen cruiser, the Hiawatha, as escort. On 24 January 1956, Gerd successfully set off from the North Mole, Fremantle at 6.10 a.m. He experienced cramps and became colder and colder as he swam breaststroke for most of the way across the Channel. He started showing signs of distress as he came closer to Rottnest and, once he encountered the cross currents, the real battle began. For every two metres he swam, he was pushed back one. It took him over three hours to swim the last four kilometres. An exhausted Gerd staggered ashore at Natural Jetty to a cheering crowd, before collapsing onto the beach where he lay for a while. ‘I can still swim but I can’t walk,’ he gasped. His daring feat had taken nine hours, forty-five minutes. Gerd’s heroic swim inspired WA Newspapers’ Weekend Mail to create a race from the mainland to Rottnest Island with cash prizes to swimmers who could better Gerd’s time. Twenty-two swimmers applied, ranging from fourteen to seventy-five years old. Due to the number of swimmers who wished to participate, an elimination race was held in the Swan River, with nine people qualifying for the official race. Two swimmers later withdrew. Swimmers entering the Weekend Mail race were only required to have a support boat, without an additional paddler, which they each hired in Perth. It was just a small timber boat with an outboard motor. The swimmers brought their boats down-river to the harbour mouth, at Fremantle, the day before the race.
14 Champions & Everyday Heroes On 25 March 1956, seven swimmers set off from Fremantle’s North Mole to Rottnest. They were Trevor Seaborn, Neil Earl, Les Stewart, Toby Regan, Tony Rigoll, Mel Andrew and Harry Lapelaars. The swimmers did not wear caps or goggles. ‘We were so used to swimming in the river and ocean with no goggles, our eyes didn’t get sore.’ (Les Stewart) It was hard to see where they were going on race day because of the swell. Les remarked,
I couldn’t see Rottnest and the only landmarks behind me were Royal Perth Hospital and the pine trees at Cottesloe. There were no buoys in those days. We didn’t know if we were drifting or going in the right direction. The support crews pointed to which way we should swim.
The newspaper boat, the Hiawatha, patrolled nearby and sent frequent reports of the swimmers’ progress to the mainland. The radio stations then issued progress reports throughout the day on their Channel crossing. The only time Les became worried was when the engine of his support boat kept ‘conking’ and his support crew had to row. He swam so far ahead they became separated and on a couple of occasions he had to stop swimming and wait for them. Four of the swimmers beat Gerd’s time: Trevor Seaborn (first place), Neil Earl (second place), Les Stewart (third place) and Toby Regan (fourth place). Trevor Seaborn set the new record time of just over seven and a half hours (7:36:26). Les felt great when he arrived. He sat on the beach and looked at the wrinkled skin on his fingers. He was offered a scotch, which was his first alcoholic drink! His support crew’s hands were covered in blisters from the constant rowing. The Weekend Mail sponsored a second race in 1957 but this time it was conducted in the Swan River. There were no more recorded crossings to Rottnest until 1969 when Lesley Cherriman ABOVE: Lesley Cherriman (now Meaney). (now Meaney) became the first female to complete an unaided crossing from Rottnest to the mainland. She had recently migrated from the Isle of Wight, England, and enjoyed swimming about a kilometre off the Perth coast. It was during one of these swims that she was inspired to swim to Rottnest. ‘I was curious about my endurance boundaries and prepared to put them to the test,’ Lesley said. She was warned about the strong currents around Rottnest and therefore made the decision to start her swim from Rottnest, so she could face the hard part of the swim first. At around 11 a.m. on 13 April 1969, Lesley Cherriman left Natural Jetty, Rottnest, on her history-making solo swim across the Channel. She battled choppy swell and swam against a northerly drift which hampered her initial progress. However, conditions improved as the day went on. She became extremely cold as she made her way towards the finish line at the North Mole, Fremantle. She emerged from the water at 7.45 p.m. to a huge crowd of cheering people who flashed their headlights and hooted their horns. She conducted another solo swim from Rottnest to the mainland on 18 February 1970 and again on 4 April 1971 from the mainland to Rottnest. While long distance swimmers tackled the Channel, swim clubs conducted open water races in the Swan River, known as ‘Swim Thrus.’ In 1962 Beatty Park swimming pool was constructed to accommodate the Commonwealth and Empire Games and this inspired the establishment of other suburban swimming pools. Swim clubs moved away from the river and, with this, the number of Swim Thrus shrank. By the 1980s, Maylands was the only swimming club still conducting Swim Thrus.
History of the Swim 15 In 1977, AUSSI Masters swimming began in Western Australia. People from the original swim clubs joined ‘Masters’ and started running their own events, whilst the surf clubs continued to run Swim Thrus in the ocean. In 1985, Kevin Holtom became the chairman of the AUSSI Masters Long Distance Swimming Committee. One of his first tasks was to establish a two-kilometre swim from Sorrento Surf Club. However, as news of world marathon swimming reached Western Australia, including Perth’s Shelley Taylor-Smith who was breaking records overseas, the decision was made to increase the distance of open water racing to an eight-kilometre ‘marathon’ swim from City Beach to Trigg. This surge to push the boundaries of long distance swimming was unique to Western Australia. In 1986, Perth was awarded the host city rights for the sixth FINA (the International Swimming Federation) World Swimming Championships, to be held in 1990. This included, for the first time, a twenty-five kilometre long distance swim to be conducted in the Swan River from Burswood beach to Point Resolution, Dalkeith and back. Kevin Holtom, who had recently been appointed as the WA Swimming Long Distance Coordinator, was asked to run this event. The 1980s saw a resurgence in swimming the Rottnest Channel, with nineteen swimmers completing twenty-six crossings, seven of these beginning at Rottnest. Perth swimmers — like Peter Tanham, Shane McGurk, Peter Blackmore, Ken Patrick, Tom Brown, John Whitehead, Ken Edwards, Barry Power and Col Levison — were testing their own endurance boundaries by organising marathon swims to Rottnest. It was achieving these goals which started talk amongst the swimmers about forming an association to formalise swimming across the Rottnest Channel. In preparation for the sixth FINA World Swimming Championships, Kevin Holtom went to the United States to observe the organisation and running of the American National Championships’ long distance swim held at Long Beach, California. Kevin knew of the ABOVE: Lesley embarking on her 1970 Catalina Island Swim, thirty-three kilometres off the coast of California, so, before leaving America, he approached the Catalina Island Swim Association and acquired a copy of their crossing of the Rottnest Channel. constitution which he brought back to Perth. On 1 December 1989, a group of dedicated swimmers were on Rottnest Island for the ‘Cottesloe Crabs’ one mile Swim Thru, at Thomson Bay. John Whitehead remembers standing on a balcony with Kevin Holtom, staring out at the crystal clear waters of Thomson Bay, when Kevin said to him, ‘You should form the Rottnest Channel Swim Association.’ As a businessman and entrepreneur, John was an excellent choice to form the Association. Peter Blackmore’s swimming feats gave him the idea of a relay race to Rottnest. Peter’s vision was to create an adventure which groups and families could participate in; a relay race to an island had a somewhat magical connotation and would be a new and unique event for Perth. After hearing that some individuals had already begun training for a team crossing, to be conducted the following year, John Whitehead discussed with Paul Lee and Neil Brooks the possibility of teams competing in a Rottnest Channel crossing After the Swim Thru, John called an informal meeting at the Rottnest Hotel with fellow swimmers Bev Ashby, Peter Blackmore, Maxine Fitzpatrick, Kevin Holtom, Ron King, Lesley Meaney (nee Cherriman), Barry Power and Shelley Taylor-Smith to discuss forming a Rottnest Channel Swim Association and how they would go about creating a race from Cottesloe to Rottnest. It was decided that the Catalina Constitution could be modified to fit the proposed formation of a Rottnest Channel Swim Association. The Association’s priorities would be to ‘observe and authenticate persons who swim; to promote safety, to provide information, advice and encouragement to swimmers wanting to make an attempt as well as
16 Champions & Everyday Heroes gathering and preserving historical data from the crossings.’ (Lesley Meaney, Why swim to Rottnest when you can catch the ferry?) It was agreed that most crossings to date would be officially recognised. However, future crossings would be subject to new rules, based on similar associations such as the Catalina Channel Swim Association and the English Channel Association. Discussions also included the proposal that relay teams provide the financial lubricant (through entry fees and subscriptions) to fund the solo swim and offer cash prizes. John Whitehead was elected as the first president of the Association and, although Peter Tanham wasn’t present at the first meeting, he was elected as treasurer.
ABOVE: Lesley making her historic crossing from Rottnest to Fremantle, as the first woman to swim, unaided, across the Channel.
LEFT: The Daily Mail cartoonist having a bit of fun at Lesley’s expense.
History of the Swim 17 While Kevin was busy organising the World Swimming Championships, John Whitehead BELOW LEFT: From left to right: Col worked on acquiring the necessary permissions from the Fremantle Port Authority and the Levinson, Tom Brown, John Whitehead and Rottnest Island Authority to conduct the Rottnest Channel Swim. Shelley Taylor-Smith’s Peter Blackmore, 1980s. prominence as an international marathon swimmer attracted media attention to the Rottnest Channel Swim Association which assisted with promotion for the event. Meanwhile, Peter Blackmore worked on making the swim known to the wider community through word of BELOW: 1991 nomination form. mouth and advertising in the community newspapers, at local swimming pools and sporting associations. Television coverage was organised through Channel Nine’s Wide World of Sports. Peter encouraged his business contacts to form teams to enter the race and, through his insurance company, provided public liability insurance and shark-attack insurance for all entrants of the first race. The shark-attack insurance was viewed as a slightly humorous addition to the swim but was also a real insurance policy which would have paid out, had there been a shark attack. The World Swimming Championships trial, held in the Swan River in January 1990, proved to be a useful lesson in conducting open water swim races. Every swimming competitor was accompanied by a boat. Boats were offered from the Avon River Descent race but proved too fast for the swimmers. River conditions were bad; the one- metre swell in the river caused boats to tip over and sink. Kevin and John made note of the potential problems associated with open water swimming races and took them into account when planning the Rottnest Channel Swim event for the following year. John worked on adapting the Catalina Channel Swim’s constitution to suit the Rottnest Channel Swim and out of this a new constitution was born and became the foundation of the Rottnest Channel Swim Association. John was inspired by a television show about a
18 Champions & Everyday Heroes LEFT: Successful swimmers congratulate the winner, 1956 Weekend Mail race.
wheelbarrow race from Paraburdoo to Tom Price. It was a tag-team race where competitors ran with the wheelbarrow for as long as they liked before tagging the next team member. John believed that applying these same rules to the Rottnest Channel Swim teams could work. The alternative was to have a ‘scrutiniser’ on board every support vessel to ensure teams swapped swimmers at specifically scheduled times (a requirement of the English Channel Association). The wheelbarrow race concept was adopted for the Rottnest Channel Swim teams and is still the method used today, with team members swimming legs of anywhere between one minute to twenty minutes.
The RCSA [Rottnest Channel Swim Association] rules do not specify when changeovers have to take place. The only requirement is that both swimmers must be in the water and swimmers must touch hands above the water line. (Peter Tanham, My Thoughts on Swimming the Rottnest Channel)
The Association adopted FINA’s rules for conducting an event and, lastly, Dr Davies’ medical notes regarding the problems swimmers could face while swimming long distances, became the Association’s medical guide for the race. Kevin and John took care of organising the event and managing applications. John remembers photocopying application forms in his office for two weeks. There were no official sponsors for the first race in 1991. Prize money came from entry fees and a personal donation from John Whitehead.
History of the Swim 19 John’s vision for the swim was for swimmers ‘to be self-reliant, rather than have the Association provide everything for them.’ This involved working out their own diet and training regimes plus organising their own support boat and crew, as ‘self-management creates strength within the team.’ This tradition has continued throughout the years, with swimmers taking full responsibility for their Rottnest Channel Swim. John’s wife, Anna, remembers receiving a lot of telephone calls the night before the first race. John went to bed at 8 p.m. and Anna was up until midnight, answering last-minute emergency phone calls such as, ‘my boat has broken down — have you got another one?’ Some swimmers were quite shocked to find out that they were responsible for their own boats. The date of the inaugural Rottnest Channel Swim race was set for 23 February 1991. A pre-race briefing was held one week prior at the Cottesloe Hotel, kindly donated as a venue by publican Peter Eakins. He would become one of the first Rottnest Channel Swim solo swimmers. In the early morning hours of 23 February 1991, forty-four swimmers, comprising of sixteen solo swimmers and seven teams, stood in the dark at Cottesloe Beach. They received a mini briefing from Kevin Holtom, before lining up to take part in the historic event. A hooter sounded, signalling the start of the very first Rottnest Channel Swim Association race. Swimmers plunged into the oncoming surf and swam to meet their support crews. Some of the first solo swimmers were Mary-Anne Paton and Max and Carrol Wannell, the first husband and wife team to make individual solo crossings that year. John Guilfoyle, who later became the president of the Rottnest Channel Swim Association, swam in a team and for the last twenty-five years has continued to swim every year. Peter Blackmore swam in the winning relay team.
ABOVE: Weekend Mail swimmers arriving at Natural Jetty.
RIGHT: 1956 swimmers and their supporters.
20 Champions & Everyday Heroes BELOW: Men did not wear swim caps in the Friends and relations joined the Rottnest Channel Swim Association at Cottesloe Beach 1950s. It was decided Gerd’s fringe was too to cheer the swimmers on, before travelling to Fremantle to catch the ferry to Rottnest. The long and might hinder his progress so it was day of 23 February 1991 turned into the hottest on Perth’s record, a staggering 46.2 degrees hacked off with a bread knife because the centigrade; the water was like glass, but very cold. There was a strong current running from north to south which meant that some swimmers were pushed south. Peter Galvin, a crew could not locate any scissors. member of the Australian Swimming Team, arrived first with a time of 4:30:03. He was so fast that he swam into Natural Jetty, the finish line, before the timekeepers. Nancy Warnock won the female solo category. Many swimmers arrived sunburned, including Carrol Wannell who came in with the soles of her feet burned, and one person had hypothermia. Ross Butler, CEO of GIO Insurance, was among the crowd of onlookers at Natural Jetty after Peter Blackmore had encouraged his interest in the race. Later, Brian Gardner, owner of the Rottnest Hotel, organised a special reception where swimmers were presented with awards at an informal ceremony. It was at this reception where Ross Butler agreed to a meeting with Peter Blackmore and John Whitehead to discuss GIO becoming the first main sponsor of the event. After the success of the first race, it was decided to make the Rottnest Channel Swim an annual event. It was scheduled for the third Saturday of February each year. Peter and John met with Ross Butler and he agreed to GIO becoming the first official sponsor of the Rottnest Channel Swim and pledged $5000 towards the 1992 race.
When I could see the collective energy of the Rottnest Channel Swim Committee growing and the race expanding, I knew my work was done and stepped back from the Presidency so others could continue the work. (John Whitehead)
History of the Swim 21 FACTS AND FIGURES: Before the inaugural Rottnest Channel Swim race in February 1991, twenty-five individuals had completed thirty- six solo crossings of the Rottnest Channel. By 2014 this figure had grown to a total of 1541 individuals who have completed 2512 solo crossings of the Rottnest Channel.
Sixteen solo swimmers competed in the inaugural Rottnest Channel Swim race in February 1991. In 2014, there were 279 solo swimmers who competed in the annual event.
RIGHT: Solo swimmers.
22 Champions & Everyday Heroes HistoryHistory ofof thethe SwimSwim 23 MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Memories are a little vague as to the exact year the following incident happened. The general consensus is that it was 1993. It was fifteen-year-old Tamara Bruce’s second Rottnest Channel Swim when a submarine literally popped up in the middle of the Rottnest Channel. David O’Brien, who was in front of Tamara, was so close to the sub he was partly sucked down as the giant vessel emerged from the water. Tamara was caught up in the turbulence and was churned about quite a bit. Tamara’s father and coach, Roger Bruce, watched helplessly from the support boat and was rather shaken by the incident. Nevertheless, David went on to win the race, with Tamara coming in a close second. ‘As the submarine came up, we went down!’ Tamara says. Barbara Pellick won’t forget seeing the submarine underneath her as she swam in the channel in Gage Roads.
ABOVE: Off they go! (1956 Weekend Mail swimmers).
RIGHT: A crowd of supporters await the arrival of the swimmers.
24 Champions & Everyday Heroes FUN FACT: The RCSA requires teams to enter themselves under a team name. By 1992, a tradition was born of creating crazy team names such as ‘Quokka Poo’, ‘Shark Bait’ or ‘On a Fin and a Prayer’. This tradition has continued throughout the last twenty-five years with some of the more recent entrants having names like ‘Nuckingfuts’, ‘Let’s Go Kiting Instead’ and ‘Olly Shark
LEFT AND ABOVE: Team swimmers.
History of the Swim 25
THE LARGEST OPEN WATER MARATHON EVENT IN THE
The four-person relay concept provided the foundation to inspire everyday people to attempt crossing an iconic stretch of water. Until the advent of the relay concept, the crossing was purely the domain of a small number of elite and endurance swimmers. (Peter Blackmore)
The Rottnest Channel Swim Association (RCSA) had the task of promoting their annual race and turning it into a large community event. The original idea was to inspire everyday people and families to participate in the previously ‘niche’ sport of marathon swimming. ‘It took a lot of work in the beginning to take it from an obscure, unknown race to a community adventure.’ (Peter Blackmore).
LEFT: Swimmers line up at Cottesloe Beach. RIGHT: Swimmers make their way out to the paddlers.
27 LEFT: An aerial view of the swimming channel, Cottesloe Beach.
BELOW: Map of Rottnest Channel Swim start at Cottesloe Beach, 1995.
BELOW RIGHT: Champions and heroes of the Rottnest Channel Swim.
The work paid off and the number of participants increased each year. The inclusion of the team category played a pivotal role in this expansion. At one of the Association meetings, which had moved from the Cottesloe Hotel to Peter Tanham’s back shed, the Committee discussed how amazing it would be if the Rottnest Channel Swim became larger than the iconic Avon Descent race, a paddle and power-craft race conducted over two days along the Avon and Swan rivers. Numbers for the Rottnest Channel Swim surpassed those for the Avon Descent in 1994, just three years after the inaugural race. The beauty and cleanliness of the Indian Ocean, off Perth, had already been promoted around the world due to Perth being the host city for various international swimming championships. This, coupled with larger prize money due to increased sponsorship, resulted in swimmers coming from the eastern states and overseas to compete in the Rottnest Channel Swim. As the race grew in popularity, the Association was confronted with a completely different scenario to the handful of people who had dived into the water at Cottesloe Beach on 23 February 1991. Changes were necessary to accommodate the sheer volume of people entering the race each year, especially with respect to issues concerning organisation, efficiency, safety and personnel. Throughout the twenty-five years of the Rottnest Channel Swim, the RCSA has adapted to the many different situations presented and, as a result, the Rottnest Channel Swim has grown into the largest open water marathon swim in the world.
28 Champions & Everyday Heroes A TWENTY-FIVE YEAR TIMELINE
The following timeline represents some of the key decisions, highlights and changes implemented over the last twenty-five years:
1989 The RCSA was formed and John Whitehead was appointed as its first President. 1990 The RCSA was incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation. 1991 The first Rottnest Channel Swim race was held. There were forty-four entries, sixteen solo swimmers and seven teams of four. Fremantle Port Authority loaned boats for the race and the Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group (FVSRG) and the Western Australia Water Police went out on the water to keep an eye on the safety of the race. 1991 The RCSA began formal meetings. 1992 Lesley Meaney applied her artistic talents to designing the logo for the RCSA. 1993 Duos were introduced to create an intermediate step between team swim and solo. It was hoped this decision would result in more people graduating to a solo swim. It worked. Eight duos participated in the 1993 race. ‘It was felt that swimmers could get some experience and confidence from a team swim prior to attempting a solo crossing … the duo, or team of two, was introduced to shorten the jump.’ (Peter Tanham)
Many solo and duo swimmers started off by participating in four-person relays then gained the confidence and inspiration to do solo crossings. (Peter Blackmore)
1993 A twelve-year-old entrant from India swam out from Cottesloe Beach without meeting her support boat. She was swept across to Garden Island. Another swimmer’s support boat spotted her and picked her up. This incident caused the minimum age for Rottnest Channel Swim entrants to be increased to thirteen years old. 1993 Just two years on from the inaugural race, entrants had increased to 225, with twenty-nine solo swimmers, eight duos and forty-five teams. 1994 The length of the swim was increased by approximately half a kilometre after the finish line was moved from Natural Jetty to the foreshore of Thomson Bay. 1995 Due to the growing number of participants, the RCSA appointed its first Race Director, Kevin Holtom, and Chief Referee, Richard Verboon, to oversee technical aspects of the race and to ensure the event’s rules were properly adhered to. 1995 The race start time was changed to 5.45 a.m. to ensure swimmers were setting off to Rottnest during daylight hours. 1996 Colin Barnett, Member for Cottesloe and Premier of Western Australia, was asked to be the official starter of the race. 1996 The race had grown to 660 competitors, with fifty-two solo swimmers, thirty-four duos and 135 teams participating. In addition to local swimmers, competitors also came from Egypt, India, USA, Japan and interstate. John Guilfoyle, then President of the RCSA, stated it was the ‘largest event of its type in the world’. 1997 The skipper for Grant Robinson, 1997 solo winner, used a GPS to plot their course to Rottnest. This was one of the first times a GPS was used during the Rottnest
The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 29 Channel Swim race. ‘In the 1990s, there were no GPS devices so you had to go by sight. You had to pick an exact point as a marker and head for that.’ (Bruce Simpson) 1997 Female prize money became the equivalent of male prize money. 1998 The Rottnest Channel Swim race officially became the largest open water swimming event in the world with a total of 1150 competitors. Other swim events with larger numbers of participants are conducted in the closed waters of bays, lakes and rivers, not through an open ocean channel. The year’s race consisted of sixty-one solo swimmers, forty-two duos and 251 teams. By comparison, less than one hundred swimmers enter the 45.8 kilometre Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, which is by invitation only. 1998 The Rottnest Channel Swim website was established. A large part of the ‘History’ section of the website was drawn from Lesley Meaney’s research into long distance swimming in Western Australia, published in her book, Why swim to Rottnest when you can catch the ferry? Swim results also became available online for the first time. 1998 Two solo swimmers refused to get out of the water until they had finished the race. Despite Richard Verboon, Chief Referee, ordering them to come out, it was 8 p.m. before they finally emerged at Rottnest Island, in the pitch black. One of them collapsed and was flown to hospital by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. As a result, the Water Police and the Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group insisted that a mandatory cut-off time be implemented to ensure that swimmers were not swimming around Rottnest Island in a heavy boat traffic area after dark. 1999 A mandatory cut-off time was introduced. All swimmers had to arrive on the shore at Rottnest by 4.30 p.m. or face disqualification. Later, cut-off times were introduced at the ten and fifteen kilometre points and at Phillips Rock. 1999 Channel Swimmer, the first newsletter of the RCSA, was created. 2000 Personalised car numberplates for solo swimmers who achieved a successful crossing to Rottnest, became available. ‘I see the Rottnest Channel numberplates around and love to see the race growing. People are embracing what Perth has to offer.’ (Lyndal Gordon) 2001 The Rottnest Channel Swim race had grown to such large proportions, with a record 2022 participants, that it was deemed necessary to hire an event management consultant to assist volunteers in running the event. 2001 The Royal Life Saving Society began assisting the Rottnest Channel Swim Association with the running of the annual Rottnest Channel Swim event. 2001 Emergency Control Operations was established as a Sub-committee to manage safety provisions for the swim. It consisted of representatives from the Water Police, Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group, and the Rottnest Island Authority, along with the Rottnest Channel Swim event coordinators. Richard Verboon was appointed as Chairman. ‘Safety and security is the number one priority for the organisers and they take such amazing care.’ (Shelley Taylor-Smith) 2001 Lesley Meaney created an updated official newsletter for the RCSA called Channel Chatter. 2002 An electronic timing system was introduced to improve speed and credibility of information and to provide instant access to results. Race participants now wore an electronic ankle band and walked over a mat at the beginning of the race which registered their start time. On arrival at Rottnest, swimmers walked over a similar
30 Champions & Everyday Heroes mat to register their finish time. Previously, race times were the responsibility of timekeepers who used a stopwatch at the beginning and end of the race. 2003 The race encountered its worst swimming conditions on record. Twelve to fifteen knot westerly winds and early squalls meant turbulent water for the duration of the swim. ‘It was raining when I got out of the car that morning in my speedos and I thought — what have I done? The waves were rolling onto Cottesloe Beach — it was horrible. It took me half an hour to get out to our support boat.’ (David Fairclough) Many swimmers did not start, while others were pulled out for safety reasons. Only forty-three per cent of swimmers completed the race. 2004 Categorised groups of swimmers were introduced, with swimmers starting in waves of one hundred. 2004 Holding bays were created for support craft, 500 metres north and south of the start line. Boats now assembled either side of the course at the time their swimmer was due to go. This was the first time large inflatable buoys were used as channel markers. ‘The beginning was very well organised, staggered really well with controlled groups. Each vessel knew its support role.’ (Kevin Edward) Until this time, boats and paddlers clustered around an imaginary swimming channel, waiting to meet up with their swimmer. ‘It wasn’t so busy then. There were no buoys or channel markers. We just jumped in the water at Cottesloe with our boat and off we went.’ (Lyndal Gordon) 2004 Western Australia’s own tall ship, the Leeuwin II, a fifty-five metre long, three- masted barquentine with over 810 square metres of sail, was incorporated into
ABOVE LEFT: Team arriving at Rottnest.
ABOVE: Champion solo swimmer.
RIGHT: Map of finish line at Rottnest Island, 1994.
The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 31 the race. The iconic craft was anchored at the 1500 metre mark. Swimmers were not allowed past this official point unless they had met up with their paddler and support boat. 2004 Production of the annual Rottnest Channel Swim race book began in conjunction with the West Australian. 2005 Race participants had reached 2300. Due to the amount of boats required to accompany swimmers, it was decided to cap the number of swimmers allowed in the water at one time, to ensure swimmer safety. During a race debrief it was suggested by Committee Member Barry Small that a ballot entry system would be the fairest method of selection in future years. 2005 Five team places in the Rottnest Channel Swim were allocated for swimmers with disabilities. 2005 GPS coordinates were included on the map of the Rottnest Channel Swim course for the first time, to assist skippers when plotting their course to Rottnest. Inflatable buoys were placed at these GPS points. 2006 Applications to participate in the Rottnest Channel Swim became an online entry process, with solo swimmers receiving an automatic entry. The RCSA received 3910 entries for teams and duos. A random electronic ballot was used to determine which teams and duos would participate without exceeding the cap of 2300 swimmers. 2006 Compulsory gates were placed at the 10 kilometre and 15 kilometre points as well as Phillip Rock, at Rottnest Island. Swimmers had to swim through the gates to avoid disqualification.
ABOVE AND ABOVE RIGHT: Team (coloured caps) and solo swimmers (white caps) arrive at Rottnest.
LEFT: Map of the course from Cottesloe to Rottnest, including GPS coordinates, 2014.
32 Champions & Everyday Heroes 2007 The RCSA resumed full responsibility for managing the Rottnest Channel Swim event. An Executive Officer was appointed to organise and run the annual event along with the volunteer committee. ‘The organisation of the swim is fantastic — safety briefs, everyone has to do an online safety induction, the rendezvous points are great, the rules are very clear …’ (Kevin Edward) 2007 The minimum age for a swimmer to enter the Rottnest Channel Swim was increased to fourteen years old, in line with FINA regulations. 2007 The Rottnest Channel Swim was cancelled for the first and only time since its inception, due to appalling conditions caused by cyclonic activity in the northwest of Western Australia. 2007 The Lavan Legal Charity Challenge was introduced, giving corporate teams a chance to compete in the Rottnest Channel Swim and support a charity at the same time. Thirty corporate teams would compete in the Challenge each year, with a portion of their entry fee going to a charity. 2008 The Surf Life Saving chopper began assisting with the swim. It flew over the course looking out for swimmers or boats in trouble and also for sharks. 2009 The Virtual Rottnest Channel Swim began. This gave swimmers who were unable to compete in the actual swim an opportunity to replicate the race in their local pool. It suited country swimmers and individuals who missed out on a place in the actual swim. 2010 For the first time, swimmers were offered the opportunity to raise funds for a charity of their choice via an online fundraising service called Everyday Hero. 2010 The Royal Flying Doctor Service joined the hoard of volunteers who help with the Rottnest Channel Swim event. They would provide on-water medical support, via a Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue vessel. 2011 As a result of strategic review, the guiding principle of ensuring that swimmers arrived safely to Rottnest led to a greater emphasis on skipper responsibility. 2013 Swimsuit regulations were introduced which comply with FINA’s open water swimming rules. From the first Rottnest Channel Swim, entrants’ swimsuits were not allowed to contain material such as neoprene or rubber which aided buoyancy. New regulations required zipless and armless suits made from complying fabrics. 2013 The number of boats was capped at 850 which allowed for some leniency on the number of swimmers, depending on the breakdown of solo swimmers, duos and teams. 2014 The first ‘Welcome to Country’ was conducted by Ingrid Cumming at the pre-race briefing held at Challenge Stadium and Professor Len Collard performed a second ceremony at Cottesloe Beach on race day.
The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 33 FACTS AND FIGURES: Gerd von Dincklage currently resides in Germany. He was invited by the Rottnest Channel Swim Association to return to Perth to take part in the 2014 Rottnest Channel Swim event activities, including pre-race briefings and the award ceremonies on race day. Gerd happily accepted the invitation and, at eighty-four years of age and fifty-eight years after he made the first heroic crossing of the Rottnest Channel, he returned to join in with Perth’s largest swimming event. Before the race commenced, he met with competitors to impart words of wisdom and he handed out awards at the end of the race as part of the congratulatory committee.
ABOVE: Gerd congratulates swimmer and issues award.
LEFT: Gerd von Dincklage with ‘Shelley’s Angels’.
34 Champions & Everyday Heroes TWENTY-FIVE YEARS ON
The Rottnest Channel Swim Association was incorporated in 1990 as a not-for-profit organisation and continues to be so today. It is run by the selfless actions of volunteers who are passionate about providing a community event which swimmers of all abilities can enjoy.
The Rottnest Channel Swim has been a passion of mine for all of these years. We put on the event for individuals to realise their dream of swimming solo across the Channel and to create a safe and happy event for those who want to swim as part of a team. (Richard Verboon, President, 2006)
All proceeds from the Rottnest Channel Swim event are used to achieve the objectives of the Association which are: to promote interest in swimming across the Rottnest Channel; to observe and authenticate persons who attempt a solo Rottnest Channel crossing; to promote the safety and welfare of swimmers attempting a Rottnest Channel crossing; to furnish information to and advise those intending to make a Rottnest Channel crossing attempt; to gather and preserve historical Rottnest Channel swimming data; and to conduct an annual swim between the mainland and Rottnest Island. The Committee’s main priority on race day is the safety of swimmers. Over the years, the Committee has developed a comprehensive risk management plan which anticipates all the potential hazards related to swimming across the Rottnest Channel and provides safety measures BELOW: Sheer joy at the finish line. to guard against these, including procedures to follow should a situation arise. Risks range from shark sightings, shark attacks, oil spills, swimmers going off-course and deteriorating weather conditions to hypothermia, sunstroke, medical trauma and boat sinkings. Decisions regarding start and finish times mean that individuals are swimming during daylight hours and cut-off buoys, placed throughout the Channel, ensure that swimmers are on target to complete their swim by the regulated finish time. If a swimmer does not reach a cut-off buoy by the prescribed time they are asked to leave the water. The Safety Sub-committee (SSC) has replaced Emergency Control Operations (ECO) and is responsible for the execution of the risk management plan. The SCC now consists of representatives from the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group, Western Australia Police, the Department of Transport, the Department of Health, St John Ambulance, Sports Medicine Australia, Rottnest Island Nursing Post, Rottnest Island Authority, TriEvents and Rottnest Express. Prior to the annual event, the SSC conducts a briefing with swimmers, support crews and volunteers, and covers items discussed in the risk management plan. All first-time solo swimmers and swimmers who have not completed a crossing in the last two years are now required to enter the ‘Rotto Rehearsal’ to prove their swimming ability. They must swim ten kilometres in four hours and fifteen minutes, or less, to be eligible to enter the annual Rottnest Channel Swim race. The role of Race Director has evolved over the years and is now the most important post on event day. The Race Director has complete responsibility for the event on land, covering both the start and finish of the race. They oversee all proceedings which includes enforcing the rules of the swim and ensuring race officials carry out their assigned duties. They attend pre-event briefings to inform swimmers of their role should a problem arise during the annual Rottnest Channel Swim. The Chief Referee manages affairs on the water and oversees race officials.
The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 35 LEFT: Solo swimmers run into the ocean to embark on the 19.7 km swim to Rottnest Island.
BELOW LEFT: Swimmers at Cottesloe Beach prepare for the race.
36 Champions & Everyday Heroes The Rottnest Channel Swim Association would like to acknowledge and thank Presidents and Committee Members, past and present, who have dedicated their time and energy as volunteers to create the largest open water marathon swim in the world.
PRESIDENTS OF THE ASSOCIATION 1991–2014 John Whitehead David Craig Richard Verboon Raymond Yong Peter Tanham Max Naismith Shelley Hatton David Corney John Guilfoyle Matt Rutter Ceri Writer
COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION 1991–2014 John Whitehead Julie Johnston Peter Duckett Matthew Rutter David Corney Merrilyn Deniet Harry Martin Niall Warren Barry Demmler Richard Atkins Peter Tanham Lisa Bellamy Doug Craig Tom Clarke Karen Haegney Stephen Cornelius Paula Martin Les Donald Ruth Maitland John Bond Laura Towner Mike Warnock Peter Duckett Sally Bell Stephen Hicks David Cummins Bev Byers Mary-Anne Paton Simon Kirke Andrew Rose Jim McAlinden Vic Paul Catherine Prendergast Andrew Litster Stephen O’Keefe Mark Butchart John Guilfoyle Geoff Wilton Cameron Murray Timothy Lefroy Peter Blackmore Wendy Holtom Richard Verboon Anthony Warman Rebecca Manley Graeme Collopy Trevor Pedlar Barry Small David Heldsinger Stuart Moran Steve Cronan Shelley Hatton Rae Breen Richard Williams Jon McArdell Peter Forbes Guy Bailey Fiona Grieves Tony Carter James Back Max Wannell Wayne Donaldson Karyn Kieller John Driscoll Hannah Waters Ed Peters David Craig Frank Oakley Raymond Yong Colleen Line Ingrid Spencer Brett Montgomery Ceri Writer Kevin Holtom Chris Shellabear Max Naismith Kimberley Leunig
The RCSA regained full management of the Rottnest Channel Swim in 2007. By this stage, the event had grown so large it became necessary to appoint an Executive Officer on a full-time basis to assist the Committee with the organisation of the event.
STAFF OF THE ASSOCIATION 2007–2014 Executive Officers Event Assistants
Matija Franetovich Deanne Matusik Jayne Northover Stacey Herbertson Jessica Duncan Natalie Beevis Hayley Chandler
Life membership is a prestigious award bestowed on members of the Association for meritorious service. The following people have been awarded life membership to the Rottnest Channel Swim Association:
LIFE MEMBERSHIPS John Whitehead John Guilfoyle Les Stewart Peter Tanham David Craig Barbara Pellick Kevin Holtom Richard Verboon Lesley Meaney Shelley Hatton
The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 37 LEFT: A timeline of targets that must be completed to ensure a well-organised and successful event.
BELOW: Japanese swim team.
FACTS AND FIGURES: Swimmers have flown from as far away as the UK, USA, Egypt, India, Japan, South Africa and Ireland to compete in the Rottnest Channel Swim.
38 Champions & Everyday Heroes LEFT: Team swimmers wear colourful swimsuits, complying with the RCSA’s rules on swimwear.
LEFT BELOW: Camaraderie at the finish line.
CENTRE BELOW: International swimmers, competing as a duo, arrive at Rottnest.
BELOW: Female duo are jubilant as they arrive at Rottnest Island.
The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 39 FACTS AND FIGURES: In 1998, the Rottnest Channel Swim officially became the largest open water marathon swim in the world.
ABOVE: The swimming channel, Cottesloe Beach.
LEFT: Start line at Cottesloe Beach.
40 Champions & Everyday Heroes FUN FACT: With the advent of so many people participating in the Rottnest Channel Swim, finding your paddler or support boat was a feat in itself and so a new tradition was born. Teams adopted colours, signs and gimmicks to set them apart from other teams. This led to crazy costumes, hairdos, balloons and team themes.
I love all the people who dress up crazy — teams wear the same bathers, people dress in bright things to get noticed. When you get into the water you can’t see anything. It’s much easier to meet your paddler and boat if you are dressed brightly. (Lyndal Gordon)
ABOVE: Solo swimmer covered in zinc prior to race start. LEFT: Paddler holds blow-up doll to
The Largest Open Water Marathon Event in the World 41
FREMANTLE PORT AUTHORITY
The Fremantle Port Authority’s role is to manage the expectations of the community and commercial shipping. (Captain Allan Gray)
The Fremantle Port plays a very important role, being the largest port in Western Australia. It has an exceptionally busy shipping schedule and is responsible for ensuring ships are in and out of the port on time. Due to swimmer safety, the Port cannot readily give permission for recreational events to take place in the shipping lanes. However, as the Rottnest Channel Swim is an iconic Western Australian event, every effort has been made to accommodate the race, enabling it to cross the shipping lanes. The Port has worked with the Rottnest Channel Swim Association on risk management strategies over the last twenty-five years, bearing in mind swimmer safety and shipping schedules.
LEFT: Fremantle Port, Western Australia. RIGHT: Boats, paddlers and swimmers converge on the 1500-metre mark where the Leeuwin is anchored.
43 LEFT: Support boat for team swimmers.
The Port’s ruling on the Rottnest Channel Swim is that swimmers must give way to shipping. However, Captain Allan Gray, the Harbour Master at Fremantle Port, monitors the shipping every day prior to the event to try to develop natural windows around the swim. Although there is a lot of pressure on ports to keep shipping moving, the Harbour Master tweaks schedules, such as holding ships at outer anchorage, while the swim goes through. He coordinates with shipping companies and gains their cooperation for the swim; if a ship is due to come into port on event day, he asks if the company can slow it down to accommodate the swim. Swimmers are fully briefed on procedure should a ship wander into the Channel while the race is on. In the last twenty-five years there has only been one incident where a ship misunderstood instructions and came into the Channel. The Water Police held the swimmers back, complying with procedure, but the ship started following the swimmers, which created confusion. Captain Gray now goes out in the Port’s emergency response vessel to monitor the Channel during each race.
44 Champions & Everyday Heroes RIGHT: FVSRG and the Royal Flying Doctor Service attend to a medical situation.
BELOW: Team swimmer climbs back into her support boat after completing her leg.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS: In 2005, an Israeli qualified to enter the Rottnest Channel Swim, after completing the ten-kilometre swim at Leighton Beach in three hours, fifty minutes. He entered the Rottnest Channel Swim race but by the eighteen-kilometre mark was suffering from a serious case of hypothermia. This was before the Royal Flying Doctor Service had been present at the race. However, it just so happened that some doctors had requested to accompany the Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group to conduct research into hypothermia. The response time of the Emergency Control Operations Committee was so fast they saved the man’s life; seven days later the swimmer walked out of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital alive and well.
Fremantle Port Authority 45
THE VOLUNTEERS
I am so proud that we [Perth] run a world-class event, which is without peer, really. To be fortunate enough to be a volunteer, for the Rottnest Channel Swim, is something I regard as a privilege and an honour. (Maureen Faithfull)
The Rottnest Channel Swim began in 1991 with a small group of volunteers, assisted by the Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group (FVSRG) on the water and the Water Police. It has evolved over the last twenty-five years from a bright idea into a mass-participation event resulting in many more volunteers becoming involved to support the expansion, with well over one hundred assisting at the annual event.
LEFT: RCSA Volunteers busy helping swimmers at the race start. RIGHT: Cottesloe Surf Club Members in the IRB at Cottesloe Beach.
47 LEFT: Crowds of people await race start at Cottesloe Beach.
BELOW: Volunteers begin registration at Cottesloe Beach in the dark.
In the early days, the FVSRG had two rescue vessels and were on hand to assist with marine- rescue related matters such as injured swimmers or disabled boats. However, as the size of the FVSRG grew, so did its involvement with the Rottnest Channel Swim. The FVSRG now supplies ten vessels, four of which are equipped with a permanent supply of medical equipment and a medically trained crew, plus fifty volunteers. Its role has expanded to include compliance, first-response medical care with Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) personnel aboard their vessels, and guidance to the Rottnest Express fleet. It also manages all communications on race day via their Channel Swim Base, which is run from its headquarters by Sea Rescue volunteers. To manage the additional workload on race day the FVSRG borrows vessels from neighbouring groups and supporters, including Cockburn and Whitfords Sea Rescue Groups, as well as jet skis from Margaret River and Augusta Sea Rescue Groups. It is necessary to equip boats on loan with specific communication requirements plus medical and rescue supplies. All engines are serviced to ensure complete reliability on Rottnest Channel Swim day, their biggest rescue day of the year. FVSRG volunteers attend pre-race briefings to learn about their specific role on race day, and skills are updated or revalidated for any required areas. All skippers are trained marine rescue skippers with decades of experience between them. One of the biggest challenges they face is setting up Channel Swim Base for the event which requires twelve radios and aerials. Due to the importance and size of their role, FVSRG starts planning for the Rottnest Channel Swim about five months before the race.
48 Champions & Everyday Heroes On race day, surf club volunteers begin at Cottesloe Beach around 4 a.m. They are responsible for inflating the buoys and placing each one at a pre-determined location to create a swimming channel out to the Leeuwin. Eight volunteers man the IRBs (Inflatable Rescue Boats) and battle the waves to position the buoys at the correct GPS coordinates, enabling skippers to plot an exact course for their swimmer.
It’s exciting and nerve-wracking having to put the buoys out in the pitch black. The IRBs easily tip in the surf so we need a skilled driver and crew person to look out for the waves. (Dean Davidson)
FVSRG volunteers also begin at 4 a.m. with vessel and radio checks. All vessels are despatched to the swim course where they immediately start work in a compliance role, ensuring competitors’ boats stay within their designated holding areas. Rottnest Channel Swim Association volunteers arrive shortly after to set up for the start of the race. Many volunteers come from the masters swimming clubs and have been volunteering for years. Maureen Faithfull loves race day. She has volunteered every year since 1991, except 2014, which she regrettably missed due to an injury. She starts at around 5 a.m. on the registration and timing desks and finishes up about 7 p.m. at Rottnest.
I am not an open water distance swimmer, unfortunately, so to experience the swim in the capacity of a volunteer, both on the starting and finishing lines, enables me to enjoy the excitement and adrenaline rush such a brilliant event provides; it is an amazing spectacle. (Maureen Faithfull)
Jane and David Laws have been volunteering for nearly twenty years. They love to ABOVE: Swimmers from a duo team see the anticipation in the eyes of the swimmers. ‘With all the people rushing around, congratulate one another after crossing the the volunteers are like the calming influence over the whole thing.’ (Jane Laws). After the finish line. volunteers, the swimmers and crowds of supporters arrive. ‘When you are in the IRB and look back to shore, it’s packed with people.’ (Dean Davidson) The Association volunteers man a help desk to provide information and assistance to the swimmers before they embark on their journey to Rottnest. They register the swimmers at the start of the race and issue each entrant with an electronic tag which registers their start and finish time. Bruce Simpson remembers the days before the electronic tag. He was a volunteer timekeeper and used a stopwatch to register start times. Afterwards, he raced to Fremantle in order to catch the ferry to Rottnest. He had to beat the swimmers to Thomson Bay so he could register their finish times as they arrived. Eight surf club members volunteer for first aid and about twenty-five more are on general duties. As trained lifeguards, all surf club members are responsible for swimmer safety during the first kilometre of the swim course. The first few minutes of the race are very important. ‘If people are going to collide, the start is where it’s most likely to happen.’ (Dean Davidson) As the swimmers set off in waves, the paddlers begin coming into the channel to meet up with their swimmer. Boats are expressly forbidden to come into the swimming channel until the 1500 metre mark, where the Leeuwin is anchored. This is where the boats connect with their paddler and swimmer. IRBs patrol the channel and chase out boats that ignore the rules. ‘There is a massive amount of people in the water at one time.
The Volunteers 49 This role has got to be taken seriously.’ (Dean Davidson) It is sometimes necessary for FVSRG to help swimmers find their paddler and support boat, as they are not allowed to proceed beyond the Leeuwin unless they have joined up with their crew. ‘Swimmers … are often left treading water until they can be matched up.’ (Philip Martin). Once the last wave of swimmers has left Cottesloe Beach, the surf club volunteers pull the buoys back into shore. The first aid volunteers stay until the crowd thins out then the usual rostered beach patrol takes over. FVSRG starts responding to medical issues and support boats breaking down as early as the Leeuwin anchor point. Once swimmers are out on the water, the fleet breaks up into their dedicated teams of medical response, vessel breakdown response and event compliance. The volunteers monitor external issues which may affect swimmer safety, such as commercial shipping or deteriorating weather conditions, and help race officials ensure swimmers stick to the course. In 2012, the FVSRG started assisting the Rottnest Express with fleet management during the Rottnest Channel Swim race. They communicate swimmer positions to the ferry control tower and to the ferries themselves. Five race officials patrol the Channel throughout the race to ensure rules are adhered to and swimmers reach the markers by the specified time. Volunteers wait at the end of the race to collect tags, issue awards, sell t-shirts and memorabilia, and take photographs. FVSRG continues on into the night. After a crew change, half the rescue vessels return to the mainland while the others stay at Rottnest to ensure support boats have a safe journey home after the parties have finished. They are usually manning the rescue vessels
ABOVE: RCSA Volunteers discuss issues.
LEFT: Peter Thompson has sun block applied by his wife, Fiona, before he commences his fourth Rottnest swim.
50 Champions & Everyday Heroes until 2 a.m. The following day is also extremely busy, monitoring the rest of the boats returning to Fremantle from Rottnest.
As Australia’s premier swimming event, we are proud to support the RCSA and the swimmers on the day. We get great feedback and thanks from the competitors, both on the water and following the event. There are significant pressures on FVSRG and its volunteers in the run-up and during the swim day and it is by far our busiest rescue day of the year. However, we are happy to meet these challenges and help support the continued viability of this great sporting occasion. (Philip Martin, President, Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group)
ABOVE: Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group (FVSRG) in action. The following people and organisations provide assistance to the Rottnest Channel Swim Association in conducting the annual Rottnest Channel Swim:
Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group Rottnest Channel Swim Association Royal Flying Doctor Service volunteers St John’s Ambulance paramedics Race Officials Fremantle Port Authority Race Director Masters swimming clubs Chief Referee Western Australia Police Skippers, paddlers and crews Surf Life Saving groups Rottnest Island rangers Rottnest Island Nursing Post Department of Transport, Marine Safety Department of Fisheries Department of Health Sports Medicine Australia Town of Cottesloe Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation
The Volunteers 51 LEFT: RCSA volunteers direct swimmers.
BELOW LEFT: Swimmers swarm the RCSA volunteer tent to make purchases.
RIGHT: Solo swimmers stand in line awaiting a signal for the start of their race.
52 Champions & Everyday Heroes The Volunteers 53
THE SWIMMERS
Over sixteen thousand swimmers have entered the Rottnest Channel Swim in the last twenty-five years as solo swimmers or as part of a duo or team. Their reasons vary, but one thing is abundantly clear: they are passionate about open water swimming. The following swimmers represent the many who have participated over the years and, through their stories, they highlight the essence of the race.
LEFT: Team swimmers. RIGHT: Solo swimmer.
55 LEFT: Peter Tanham completes his history- making double crossing of the Rottnest Channel.
BELOW: John Whitehead, first President of RCSA, congratulates Peter.
PETER TANHAM, KING OF THE CHANNEL
Entering the Rottnest Channel Swim is a motivation to train, something to train towards. (Peter Tanham)
Peter has always loved swimming, having made the school swim team in grade four. After finishing school, he became the official coach for the school swim team. He started open water racing in the Swan River, competing in the Perth Swim Thrus, and joined the City of Perth Surf Club where he learned lifesaving in the ocean. It was during this time that his enthusiastic friend, Shane McGurk, came up with the idea that they should swim to Rottnest, solo. Peter thought it was a stupid idea but could not resist a challenge. They set a date for 13 February 1983 and started training for it. He never thought it would actually happen. However, the date arrived and Peter found himself at Rottnest Island with Shane McGurk, Brian McGurk and Geoff Fisher, ready to set off on their first solo swim across the Channel to Cottesloe. They thought swimming from Rottnest to the mainland was a better idea as the mainland was a much larger target should they become lost at sea. The swim was delayed until 11.30 a.m. by the Department of Transport, due to the strong easterly that day. Eventually, the four men set off from Natural Jetty, Rottnest. Geoff Fisher and Brian McGurk were pushed far north by the currents and lost their support boat which had failed to start. They eventually decided to turn around and swim back to Rottnest. Meanwhile, Air, Sea and Rescue went out searching for them. Peter and Shane pushed on. ‘It was a hard slog swimming into the waves,’ Peter recalls. But they nevertheless found it
56 Champions & Everyday Heroes exciting because it was their first time to cross the Channel. When they finally swam into the shallows of Cottesloe Beach, there were blue bottle stingers everywhere. Peter swam straight through them, ‘All I wanted to do was finish and I was stung very badly.’ They completed the swim in six hours, thirty minutes. ‘At the time I told everyone that I would never do it again,’ Peter recalls. Despite his announcement, he went on to complete another solo crossing and a double crossing before the 1991 inaugural Rottnest Channel Swim race. He remembers discussing with Shane, in 1990, the idea that crossing the Rottnest Channel was not a difficult swim compared to the English Channel. This discussion planted the seed for the double crossing. Peter believed if he conducted a double crossing it would prove that a single crossing was achievable for more than the handful of swimmers who had succeeded to date. Nobody had ever attempted a double crossing of the Rottnest Channel and Peter himself had doubts. ‘I kept the swim very quiet, mainly because of the fear of failure,’ he recalls. He planned the swim for a whole year, only notifying the President of the newly formed Rottnest Channel Swim Association, John Whitehead, of his intention just one week before he made history. It was daybreak on Monday 28 January 1991 when Peter’s family saw him off on his record-breaking swim from Cottesloe Beach. By the time Peter reached Rottnest and completed the first leg of his journey, he had no inclination to give up on the second leg. ‘Thirteen months of planning, months of getting up at 5 a.m. to go training, being tired at work, being tired at home. I had sacrificed too much not to achieve my goal.’ The sea breeze and rolling action of the waves made his final leg difficult and he was swept in the direction of City Beach. However, he knew he had the fitness level to make it and was determined not to give up. He arrived at City Beach after fourteen hours, eight minutes. A handful of people ABOVE: Another successful crossing. were waiting to congratulate him, including John Whitehead. Peter took up his role as Treasurer in the newly formed Rottnest Channel Swim Association just in time for the first official Rottnest Channel Swim race, which was held one month after his record-breaking swim. Perhaps inspired by Peter’s dual crossing, twelve solo swimmers and seven teams of four entered the first race. Peter continued to serve on the Committee for another five years during which time he held the role of President from 1993 to 1995. He was awarded Life Membership to the Association in 1996 for services rendered. By 2000, Peter had made fifteen solo crossings of the Rottnest Channel. He held the record for the most solo crossings to Rottnest and for being the first person to have achieved a double crossing. Peter continued to set new records and today still holds the record for the most solo swims to Rottnest, having crossed the Channel, solo, twenty-eight times — eleven of these as part of the official Rottnest Channel Swim race. He follows a strict training regimen leading up to his swims. ‘It is important to be physically prepared for the race. For someone with no swimming base, twelve months is recommended. For a regular swimmer, maybe three or four months.’ For a February crossing, he increases training in the pool to four days a week and by December this has increased to five days per week plus ocean training on many Sundays. When he was fourteen, Peter set himself a goal to swim the English Channel, having been inspired by Des Renford who had achieved nineteen English Channel crossings. In 2005, Peter had the fitness and experience to attempt the swim and succeeded in swimming across the English Channel with a time of nine hours, four minutes. For long distance swimmers, their passion goes beyond personal victories, evolving into
The Swimmers 57 a need to impart their knowledge. Peter is no exception; he trains a squad of up to forty swimmers, including some of the stars of the Channel, such as Ceinwen Roberts and Rohan Hollick. ‘I coach other people now for the Rottnest Channel Swim which keeps my interest in it.’ In his self-published book My Thoughts on Swimming the Rottnest Channel, he shares insights into swimming the Channel and provides suggested physical and mental training regimens, as well as practical knowledge on diet and necessary hydration in the days leading up to, during and after the swim.
I never felt like giving up in a single crossing. (Peter Tanham)
ABOVE: Peter strides out of the water at Thomson Bay with another solo crossing under his belt.
LEFT: Triple Crowners of the swimming elite, from left to right: Barbara Pellick, Ceinwen Roberts and Laura Delaurentis.
58 Champions & Everyday Heroes RIGHT: Barbara celebrates her 25th crossing of the Rottnest Channel.
BARBARA PELLICK, QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL
It is a genuine honour to be part of the history of the event and to have watched it grow to where it is today. I will continue to compete in the event. I love the event. I love the atmosphere of the event and the amount of people who participate in the event, whether they are solos, duos or teams — it’s just amazing. (Barbara Pellick)
Barbara first experienced open water swimming after she joined the Maylands Amateur Swimming Club as a young girl. She entered the annual ‘swims’ conducted in the Swan River, progressing from the ‘quarter-mile’ to the ‘mile’. Later, she became a member of Bunbury Masters Swimming Club and continued to compete in open water swims in Perth. In 1992, Barbara heard about the newly formed Rottnest Channel Swim Association and their inaugural race, held in 1991. ‘I loved it so much I just had to do a solo the next year.’ She rapidly assembled a crew and began training. In February 1993, Barbara completed her first solo crossing to Rottnest. It was also her first marathon swim and it prompted the beginning of a record-breaking career for Barbara. As Queen of the Channel she holds the record for the most female solo crossings to Rottnest, twenty-five in total including twenty as part of the official race. In addition, Barbara has participated in two team races and was the first woman to complete a double crossing of the Rottnest Channel in 1994. ‘To be in the open water is to feel a freedom … to be at one with nature, all the while wearing nothing more than a pair of bathers and a cap!’
The Swimmers 59 She conducted a special ‘out of event’ crossing on 25 March 2006 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the first swim to Rottnest, sponsored by the Weekend Mail. She tracked down two of the original entrants, Trevor Seaborn and Les Stewart, to share in this special day. The Rottnest Channel Swim has inspired Barbara’s incredible swimming career. She swam across the English Channel, solo, in 1995 and, in 1997, did a triple crossing of the English Channel as part of a six-person team that included fellow Rottnest Channel swimmers Peter Blackmore and Shelley Taylor-Smith. She completed the Manhattan Island Marathon in 2000, a triple team crossing of Lake Taupo, New Zealand, in 2009 (where her team set a new world record) and the Catalina Island Channel Swim in 2013. This saw Barbara awarded the prestigious international status of ‘Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming’ — membership to an elite group of swimmers, totalling less than one hundred, who have an authenticated completion of the Manhattan Marathon (45.8 kilometres), an English Channel Crossing (33.7 kilometres) and a Catalina Channel Crossing (33 kilometres). ‘Open water swimming is everything. It is my passion, it is my therapy and it is my fitness program.’ Barbara doesn’t find long distance swimming tedious. The motivation begins when she starts training for a swim. ‘By the time I get to the coastline to start a swim, the hard work is done; it’s just a case of finishing the journey that was started six or more months ago.’ During her Rottnest Channel swims, she remains focussed towards her goal and concentrates on her stroke, kick, breathing and feel for the water. She maintains awareness of her surroundings by watching her crew on the support boat, anticipating her feed times and communicating with her skipper. She rarely allows negative thoughts to enter her conscience but if they manage to slip through she makes promises to herself, which motivate her to complete the ABOVE: Barbara Pellick at the finish line. swim. ‘Once my feet touch the sand, any negativity is forgotten and I just enjoy the reason for swimming — the finish! It is just the best feeling to know you have achieved what you set out to do. I want to hug my husband and my paddlers and skipper and show my appreciation RIGHT: Les Stewart (front) with his son to everyone who has helped me achieve what I set out to do.’ Michael Stewart. Barbara only ran into difficulty once during a Rottnest crossing, and it was not from environmental conditions. She had failed to pack sufficient drinks for her journey so had to place herself on rations. She learned from this experience and now packs her estimated hydration requirements plus another fifty per cent. Barbara is passionate about helping others to achieve their open water swimming goals. Whether for a 1600-metre race or a Rottnest Channel crossing, she trains swimmers to acquire the physical abilities and the self-confidence to succeed in the task. ‘The knowledge I have gained from over twenty years of open water marathon swimming is something I want to pass on. I believe there is no point having knowledge if you don’t pass it on.’
60 Champions & Everyday Heroes FACTS AND FIGURES: Les Stewart, one of the original solo swimmers, who came third in the 1956 Weekend Mail race to Rottnest, has also participated in the official Rottnest Channel Swim. He went to enter in 1995 but couldn’t find a support boat. Determined not to miss out the following year, he purchased a boat especially for the Rottnest Channel Swim and in 1996 successfully swam in a duo with Sue Oldham. His second solo crossing to Rottnest was in 2000, forty-four years after his first. Since then he has made three more solo crossings of the Channel and participated in three duos (twice with Sue Oldham and once with his son Michael) and five times in a team, including twice from Leighton Beach with John Guilfoyle. In 2002, at the age of sixty-six, Les set the record for the longest solo swim to Rottnest of thirteen hours, twenty-eight minutes. In 2011, he participated in an over 70s team; he was 75 at the time. He has skippered a number of times, including for his son’s three solo swims. In 1997, while participating in a team swim, he also alternated skippering with Michael, while the other two swimmers alternated paddling and swimming. In 2014, Les and Michael skippered for their South African friend, Andrew Stevens, on his first solo swim.
We have good, clear waters which are a bit warmer than most swims. It’s really pleasant. The current gets a bit stronger before Phillip Rock and there can be quite a swell but once past there it feels really good. You can see grass growing on the bottom of the ocean as you come towards Thomson Bay. It shows you which way the current’s going. (Les Stewart)
The Swimmers 61 CEINWEN ROBERTS AND ROHAN HOLLICK, LONG DISTANCE SWIMMERS
I have a smile on my face when I swim. It makes me feel great to be alive and swim in a beautiful clean ocean. I’ll do this for the rest of my life. (Ceinwen Roberts).
Ceinwen attributes her ‘slight obsession’ with being in the water to her parents. After swimming in the backyard pool before she could walk and having attended her parents’ training sessions and swimming competitions, it seemed only natural for Ceinwen to follow in their footsteps. She started ocean swimming with her mother when she was a young girl and entered her first ocean swim race, the Rottnest Swim Thru, when she was twelve years old. Ceinwen was afraid of the stingers that lived around Rottnest Island but, with her mum by her side and wearing a special long-sleeved suit, she completed her swim and her passion for ocean racing was born. ‘I loved the challenge of being out in the ocean.’ She competed in the National Championships for five years during her teens but, despite training hard, she failed to make qualifying times on more than one occasion so retired from swimming in her early twenties. However, she never left the community of swimming where she has made lifelong friendships. She continued ocean swimming and entering competitions like the Cottesloe Mile and the Rottnest Swim Thru. ‘Open water swimming has brought me together with so many amazing friends and I think ultimately that’s what keeps me doing it.’ In 1998, Ceinwen entered the Rottnest Channel Swim race for the first time. She swam
ABOVE: Ceinwen Roberts and Rohan Hollick.
LEFT: Ceinwen Roberts (second from left) in her first team swim of the Rottnest Channel.
RIGHT: Ceinwen after swimming in a duo.
62 Champions & Everyday Heroes in a team with her sisters and friends from her swimming club. They had so much fun and won their category which prompted five more team swims in her Rottnest Channel Swim career. However, 2009 proved to be the catalyst for a record-breaking career in swimming. Ceinwen entered the Rottnest Channel Swim for the first time as a solo competitor. It was this race which truly revitalised her passion for swimming and became the inspiration for her marathon swims. While celebrating with friends after completing a Rottnest Channel Swim, a friend suggested they make the English Channel their next challenge. They all agreed and called themselves the Swimming Sandgropers. They began a heavy training regimen and in 2011 Ceinwen succeeded in swimming solo across the English Channel. Meanwhile, Rohan Hollick, a competitive swimmer at school, entered the Rottnest Channel Swim for the first time in 2000 as part of a team. After this he was hooked. He did his first solo swim the following year and has swum in the Rottnest Channel Swim almost every year since. ‘It’s a challenge to do it yourself. You do one then you want to do it again and go faster and place better.’ After some friends from Peter Tanham’s squad successfully crossed the English Channel, Rohan became inspired to swim longer distances. He started doing solo swims to Rottnest on a Saturday morning with friends as endurance training. During one of these Saturday morning swims, he did a double crossing. ‘I felt pretty good afterwards — I felt I could go back again!’ His friends started bugging him to do the English Channel but he decided he would rather do a triple crossing to Rottnest. It was closer to home and he would be the first person to do it, rather than the 1000th person to cross the English Channel. ‘We’re so lucky to have the Rottnest Channel Swim on our doorstep.’ He had already done eighteen Rottnest Channel solo crossings including two double crossings. The triple crossing would add to his achievements. Rohan doesn’t find swimming long distances difficult. He trains all year round but avoids over-training. He would rather save the experience for the actual swim day. When he sets off on a long swim, he takes it nice and easy and just keeps swimming, focussing on completing his target. He does experience pain sometimes but just works through it. Whatever the conditions, he loves ocean swimming and enters most of the five and ten-kilometre ocean Swim Thrus each year. ‘It’s great exercise, and you’ve got to do something, so I swim.’ While Rohan was working toward the triple crossing, Ceinwen’s next goal was the Manhattan Marathon. She had entered the Rottnest Channel Swim race in February 2013 as training practice for the 45.8 kilometre marathon swim around Manhattan Island in June of that same year. In March, Rohan suggested to her that they do a triple crossing. This feat had never been attempted and Ceinwen had never done a double crossing, but she decided if she could swim fifty-four kilometres in the English Channel, after being blown off course, she could make the record 59.2 kilometre triple crossing. She only gave it thirty seconds of thought before agreeing.
I broke into a sweat when I made the decision but thought I’ve got to do this now. I felt an overwhelming feeling of excitement and fear at the same time but Rohan said, ‘Pretend you’re painting a house - it’s going to take a whole day but you’ve just got to do it.’
With the onset of winter the days were becoming shorter and they knew they would
The Swimmers 63 have to go soon. They gave themselves three weeks’ notice and got to work on the necessary approvals to make the crossing. Andrew Forrest, another Rottnest Channel swimmer, was inspired by their goal and suggested they use the swim to promote his organisation ‘Walk Free’, an initiative to end modern day slavery. There was a twenty-five knot south–south easterly blowing when Ceinwen and Rohan, accompanied by Wayne Morris and Andrew Hunt, who were attempting double crossings, and ten other solo swimmers, set off from Natural Jetty, Rottnest Island at midnight on 24 March 2013. Five boats and four paddlers fitted with shark shields paddled in a diamond formation around the swimmers who had glow sticks and lights attached to their swimsuits and goggles. They swam into a strong wind in the pitch black and the ocean was really rough. The boat ahead of the swimmers was obscured by the waves so they concentrated on each other and swam towards the giant spotlights that illuminated the water ahead of them. The paddlers kept falling off their surf skis. ‘It was crazy and wild but the attitude was “let’s have some fun”.’ The sun was rising as Ceinwen and Rohan approached a crowd of supporters at Cottesloe Beach after completing the first leg of their triple crossing. Rules regarding multiple crossings dictate that the swimmer, before changing direction, must swim up to the shallow water and walk onto the most accessible dry land, at which time their crossing time for that leg is recorded. They must return to the water, immediately, where they can either sit or stand in knee deep water for ten minutes whilst they re-apply wool fat, sunscreen and have something to eat and drink before setting off on their second leg. Other swimmers joined Ceinwen and Rohan at different stages of the triple crossing to conduct their own solo crossings, which made the momentous crossing more interesting. After swimming for nineteen hours and six minutes, Ceinwen and Rohan completed their triple crossing of ABOVE: Ceinwen rugs up after her Rottnest Channel at 7 p.m. momentous swim. I felt overwhelmed, exhausted and so excited. I felt like a rock star. There were about four hundred people waiting on the beach, in the dark, RIGHT: Ceinwen Roberts and Rohan Hollick cheering and wading into the water to greet us. It was a tough swim. The emerge from the Indian Ocean victorious whole nineteen hours there was a two-metre swell. Not one wave pushed us after completing a triple crossing of the in the right direction. (Ceinwen Roberts). Rottnest Channel. There was no rest for Ceinwen as she flew to the United States in June 2013 to swim the Manhattan Marathon. She was the first woman to finish the race that year and third overall, with a time of seven hours, thirty-one minutes. To round off an amazing year, Ceinwen flew to California in September 2013 to swim the Catalina Channel, a thirty-three kilometre marathon swim, where she recorded the fastest time of the season — eight hours, four minutes. Ceinwen’s achievements saw her awarded the status of ‘Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming’ in 2013. She is the 81st person in history to receive this title. Ceinwen has been involved with the Rottnest Channel Swim for the last sixteen years. She has crossed the Rottnest Channel eight times as a soloist, four times in a duo and five times in a team. In her first year as a solo entrant she came fifth and has placed third ever since. When facing a five to nineteen hour swim, Ceinwen breaks it up into food breaks which are every thirty minutes. She always thinks positive thoughts and keeps happy and
64 Champions & Everyday Heroes The Swimmers 65 LEFT: Triple crossing celebration.
grateful for what she is doing; one year she planned her wedding during the swim. She never feels like giving up. Her attitude is, ‘It’s not an option.’ If she experiences pain, she works through it. ‘If you’ve done the training, you can push through the pain — your body is trained to do that.’ Ceinwen trains with Peter Tanham’s squad every day, including two open-water swims per week. Additionally, she wants to share her love of swimming with others so trains a squad of thirty-five to fifty-year-old beginners who all have a goal to participate in the Rottnest Channel Swim.
The Rottnest Channel Swim is a great day — a big day. It’s like a wedding — so much build-up with lots of squad members doing it, then rushing around on the day. By the end of it, you’re shattered! (Rohan Hollick)
66 Champions & Everyday Heroes SHELLEY TAYLOR-SMITH, CHAMPION MARATHON SWIMMER AND COACH
If you can swim to Rottnest you can do anything in your life. (Shelley Taylor-Smith)
Shelley is a champion world marathon swimmer and a coach of the Rottnest Channel Swim. She gains great satisfaction sharing the knowledge she has learned over the years and helping others to achieve their long distance swimming goals. She learned to swim, when she was six years old, at Mettams Pool, an ocean pool in North Beach. She won her first gold medal at the State Swimming Championships when she was twelve years old then went on to win numerous ribbons and trophies before being selected to represent Western Australia in the National Swimming Championships. She achieved all of this despite being diagnosed with a serious case of scoliosis, which meant she had to wear a painful back brace for five years. In 1984, while on a swimming scholarship at the University of Arkansas, USA, Shelley’s coach noticed that she swam better over long distances and remarked that she had the potential to become a world marathon swimming champion. This suggestion led to Shelley’s record-breaking career as a marathon swimmer from 1984 to 1997 during which time she achieved consecutive victories against the best men and women in her sport worldwide and held the international number one ranking for female marathon swimmers for seven
ABOVE: Shelley Taylor-Smith with the iconic Indiana Tea House and Cottesloe Beach in the background.
LEFT: Shelley competing in the Rottnest Channel Swim as part of a team. Left to right: Denise Elder, Gillian Chapman, Suanne Hunt and Shelley Taylor-Smith.
The Swimmers 67 LEFT: Shelley with her swim team from St Hilda’s who she trained for the 2014 Rottnest Channel Swim. Left to right: Erin Flaherty, Kelsey Bowes, Issy Cleg and Issy Kruk.
FACTS AND FIGURES: John Guilfoyle and Peter Hodge have participated in every Rottnest Channel Swim race since 1991.
68 Champions & Everyday Heroes male and female category as the fastest marathon swimmer in the world. It is the first and only time this has been achieved by a woman. Additionally, she set and still holds the world record for the forty-eight kilometre Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. Shelley has been involved with the Rottnest Channel Swim since the beginning. She attended the first informal meeting, held at the Rottnest Hotel in December 1989, which laid the foundations for the establishment of the Rottnest Channel Swim Association and, later, assisted with promotion for the Rottnest Channel Swim event. Shelley has done three solo swims to Rottnest as part of the race, two duos and approximately ten team swims. However, swimming has not been Shelley’s main focus where the Rottnest Channel Swim is concerned. She is passionate about training others to enter the swim. She has coached over 150 solo swimmers plus a countless number of duos and teams in the last five years. Her greatest joy is imparting the knowledge and experience she has gained from her many years as a champion swimmer and seeing people take action on it. Shelley cannot guarantee the conditions on race day. ‘Your toughest competition, if not yourself, is Mother Nature: how rough, how cold? You have no control over these elements.’ However, she guarantees her swimmers that by race day they will have the confidence, skill and mindset to swim to Rottnest, make it, and have a smile on their face at the finish line. She teaches her teams to find their reason why, whether it be a swim for charity or just for personal challenge. ‘You obtain your own reason why, your goal and who you become in the process.’ Shelley has a swimming squad of managing directors and CEOs; she has a pilot who flies in from Dubai each Saturday and drives straight to her training session. She teaches BELOW: Swimmers congratulate eachother. about technique, nutrition and achieving the mindset. Shelley’s goal is that her swimmers love swimming. Shelley teaches that distance is irrelevant in marathon swimming. ‘You motivate yourself by breaking down your swim into feed times; for example, feed every twenty to twenty-five minutes; just swim to your next feed.’ Shelley had forty solo swimmers, twelve duos and twenty-six team swimmers participating in the 2014 Rottnest Channel Swim race. Despite swimming in a duo herself, she was at the start line, greasing down her swimmers before they set off. During her swim breaks, she kept in contact with all the support crews via telephone, checking on how her swimmers were going, what the currents were like and suggesting adjustments to their course. Shelley and her partner won their duo category.
Open water swimmers have a great sense of awareness of themselves in the water and how their body works with Mother Nature. (Shelley Taylor- Smith)
The Swimmers 69 MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Marc Newman, a member of the British Long Distance Swim Team, was the first swimmer to fly from overseas to undertake a Rottnest Channel Swim crossing in February 1991. He was so terrified of sharks he had a support boat on either side of him. Nevertheless, he completed the crossing in 4:55:13, beating the previous record set by Col Levison in 1989.
RIGHT: Race start.
70 Champions & Everyday Heroes The Swimmers 71 LEFT: Solo swimmer.
BELOW: Two solo swimmers contemplate the surf before their heroic swim to Rottnest.
72 Champions & Everyday Heroes EVERYDAY HEROES: PERSONAL ENDEAVOURS, CAUSES AND JUST FOR FUN
There is a sense of satisfaction with open water swimming. Pool laps get you nowhere; with open water swimming there is more a sense of accomplishment because you feel like you are using your skills in a real life situation. (Zoe Davidson)
David Fairclough has spent countless hours in the ocean as a surfer and marine scientist. He is also an avid swimmer and trained for many years with the Stadium Snappers, part of Masters Swimming Australia. When a friend from his squad, Julian Keys, suggested they enter the Rottnest Channel Swim race as a team with Thrym Kristoffersen and Keef Hickey, he thought it sounded like a good idea. He already had a passion for the ocean and he’d heard the celebration at Rottnest afterwards was the biggest party of the year. David loved his first team swim in the late nineties. They each swam ten-minute legs before tagging the next team member and climbing back into the boat where they could warm up, relax and eat food. ‘It was a great challenge and a lot of fun with a bunch of friends.’ David went on to swim in three more team swims and a duo before he confronted the really big challenge of a solo swim. He found the concept of swimming almost twenty kilometres a little hard to grasp initially. He had been out of action for a few years, after a shoulder injury, but decided to use the twentieth Rottnest Channel Swim as motivation to start swimming again. He was very fortunate to have joined Bill Kirby’s squad at Christchurch Grammar School. Bill enlisted Shelley Taylor-Smith, who had just returned to Perth from Sydney, to train ABOVE: David Fairclough after his first solo solo and duo swimmers for the 2010 Rottnest Channel Swim. David trained with Shelley crossing. for sixteen weeks in 2009–10, both in the pool and the ocean. He learned that the mental commitment was just as important as the physical training, if not more so. Then, three months before the Rottnest Channel Swim, David’s niece died from ovarian cancer; his swim took on a whole new meaning. He wanted to dedicate the race to her and to raise money for ovarian cancer research. On 20 February 2010, David embarked on his first solo journey to Rottnest. He swam well until the twelve-kilometre mark where he suffered from really bad seasickness. By the fifteen- kilometre mark he was ready to give up. His crew knew what the race meant to him therefore were reluctant to allow him onto the support boat unless he was literally sinking. They shouted words of encouragement which disappeared on the waves and in the wind. Sheer force of will drove him to achieve his goal. After almost seven and a half hours, concentrating on swimming technique, rhythm, adjusting to the swell and constant nausea, David arrived at Thomson Bay and completed his first solo swim to Rottnest.
There’s a sense of euphoria when you get out. It’s a euphoria you want to share with everyone. There are so many people there who hold a lot of respect for each other. (David Fairclough)
David completed another solo swim in 2011 and raised approximately $8000 for his charity. James Back has been a swimmer for as long as he can remember; he spent three years on his yacht, sailing, surfing and spearfishing. His connection with Rottnest goes back as far as
The Swimmers 73 at Rottnest. He used to meet the tall ships off Rottnest and guide them to shore at Bathers Beach, Fremantle. Centuries later, his uncle became the CEO of Rottnest Island Authority where he remained for ten and half years. James was inspired when his grandmother once told him that his grandfather swam to Rottnest with friends in the 1930s. Even though she later told him it wasn’t true, the idea of swimming to Rottnest had already firmly planted itself in James’ mind. He entered the Rottnest Channel Swim race twelve times: six times in a team, four times in a duo and twice as a solo swimmer. ‘The Rottnest Channel Swim is a quintessential event of WA. It embodies the lifestyle I love and cherish.’ He was very casual about his training routine for the solo swim. During the two months leading up to the race, he did one pool swim under Shelley Taylor-Smith and about thirty to forty hours swimming in the ocean. James took the swim in his stride. He is a type 1 diabetic so had to test his sugar levels every half an hour throughout the swim and inject himself when necessary. He did the solo swim to challenge himself. He claims to have an obstinate attitude and therefore never felt like giving up. ‘Putting your feet on the ground after eight hours in the water is happy days.’ After his solo race he went straight onto the massage table then off to the pub to celebrate. Damon Kendrick grew up in the seaside town of Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, South Africa where he naturally progressed from pool swimming to the ocean. In 1974, when Damon was fourteen years old, he was training as a surf life saver when he was attacked by a shark and lost his lower right leg. He has never let this interfere with his life and he never saw himself as disabled.
ABOVE: Underwater view of David Fairclough conducting his first solo swim to Rottnest.
RIGHT: James Back, CEO, Reconciliation WA, with Nyungar elder Dr Richard Walley and 2014 team swimmers: Brianna Ozies, Vinka Barunga and Lockie Cooke, CEO, Indigenous Communities Education and Awareness (ICEA).
74 Champions & Everyday Heroes Damon moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he continued ocean swimming but after relocating to Perth he did experience some concern over the sharks in the West Australian waters. Some friends of his had participated in the Rottnest Channel Swim and at first he thought they were mad but gradually it drew his interest and he decided to enter. He had previously participated in events up to five kilometres in length but nothing like the marathon swim of the Rottnest Channel. As a condition of entering, he had to do a ten- kilometre rehearsal race. Soon after sunrise on 26 February 2011, as the light danced in the water, Damon embarked on his 19.7 kilometre solo swim to Rottnest. He concentrated on his stroke, how the water felt and his appreciation of the environment. He was always aware of the possibility of sharks in the water.
I have a personal mantra which I say to myself whenever the idea of sharks becomes too intrusive in my head. I repeat ‘I’m a dolphin’ over and over again. It pushes away the negative thoughts. (Damon Kendrick)
In fact, a 1.5 metre hammerhead shark came within ten metres of Damon during the swim, but he was unaware of its presence. He became severely seasick during the last five kilometres and experienced pain in his shoulder, whilst being slammed southwards by the Leeuwin current. ‘It took real concentration in order to stop swimming automatically and push hard enough to beat the current.’ He found it very comforting having his coach, Stuart Durham, in the kayak beside
ABOVE: Damon Kendrick arrives at the finish line at Thomson Bay.
LEFT: Solo swimmers set off at dawn.
The Swimmers 75 RIGHT: Damon Kendrick conducting his first solo swim to Rottnest.
him and his good friend Lyndall Tudehope, who helped him to keep swimming through the seasickness. Damon crossed the finish line with a time of six hours, fifty minutes.
There was never one moment that I ever thought of giving up. It was so ingrained in me that I was going to finish; I knew I would finish from the beginning. The end was absolutely amazing and emotional. (Damon Kendrick)
The Rottnest Channel Swim has given Damon confidence in the water and a new confidence to tackle other long open water swims. Eleven months later, he entered the Geographe Bay twenty-kilometre swim. ‘Most people say that I am crazy to do an ocean swim after being bitten by a shark already. Some people think I am especially brave. I just think I am an ocean swimmer doing what an ocean swimmer needs to do.’ After Peter Blackmore broke his ankle during a basketball game he was told he would never run again. It was suggested he take up swimming or start working out in a gym. He started pool swimming but found it boring so when one of his friends dared him to swim to Rottnest, solo, for his thirtieth birthday, he thought ‘why not?’ He swam at the beach every Saturday and Sunday and had participated in two-kilometre ocean swims. He trained for the swim and in 1987 Peter, along with Tom Brown, Ken Patrick and Barry Power, took off from Leighton Beach, North Fremantle, to Rottnest. Shelley Taylor-Smith also went as part of his support crew. Far from the organisation which exists today, the team of solo swimmers were vastly underprepared. Surviving on bread and water, Peter became exhausted towards
76 Champions & Everyday Heroes the end of his swim and struggled to keep going. Shelley jumped into the ocean and swam alongside him, pushing him on with words of encouragement until he arrived at Natural Jetty, Rottnest. Peter wasn’t deterred by his first experience and went on to complete two more solo swims, including swimming with Tom Brown, Col Levison, Ken Edwards and John Whitehead in 1989. Later that year, he became involved with establishing the official Rottnest Channel Swim race. Whilst working with John Whitehead, the President of the Rottnest Channel Swim Association, promoting the Swim and looking for sponsors, he still found time to enter the first race in a team and win. Peter went on to cross the Rottnest Channel twenty times, three times as a solo swimmer, eight times in a duo and nine times as part of a team. One year, he became really adventurous and did a leg in the nude, although it wasn’t as much fun as he expected because, when he jumped from the boat, he landed in a cloud of stingers. ‘The Rottnest Channel Swim is about the sense of adventure.’ Swimming the Rottnest Channel inspired Peter to set bigger goals. He did a double crossing of the English Channel in 1997 with his brother in a relay team of six; they won the prize for fastest swimmer of the year in the team category. In 1998, he did a triple crossing of the English Channel with Shelley Taylor-Smith and Barbara Pellick, in a team of six, where they set the fastest time on record — thirty-five hours, despite battling fifteen-foot waves for the last seventeen hours. He crossed the English Channel again in 2000 with his son, in a team. Being a part-time singer in a band meant that Peter had numerous playlists in his head. He worked out a rhythm to swim to the music and this helped him to overcome the mental challenge of swimming long distances.
To finish a long distance swim feels fantastic, it’s like when’s the party ABOVE: Peter Blackmore (far left) in second start? (Peter Blackmore) team swim in 1992 with John Whitehead Stephen Redbond has been a member of the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club for (middle right). fifty-three years, joining as a six-year-old nipper. ‘I am virtually in the water every day — paddling, swimming, surfing or underwater diving. Otherwise, I’m at least near the beach walking the dog. I love the water.’ He first entered the Rottnest Channel Swim in 1998 with a team of swimmers from the surf club. He then set a goal to do a solo swim to Rottnest before he was fifty. He had a number of reasons for doing it. He’d been looking at the island every day for many years and, as an endurance athlete, he had to take on the challenge. Secondly, and most importantly, he wanted his children to be proud of his accomplishment. Lastly, it was a bit of friendly competition with his wife. She always beat him in the Swim Thrus, but vowed she would never do a solo swim to Rottnest. This was his opportunity to win at something! On Anzac Day 2003, Stephen strategically invited a group of friends around to his house to announce his intention to swim and to acquire his support crew and training partners. He succeeded and the following year he completed his first solo swim in six hours, forty-four minutes. He found the swim more mentally challenging than a team swim. ‘You’re swimming for ages, not knowing how far to go. The team swim is physical but doesn’t take mental focus. You’re in and out of the water and you’ve got team mates to share the experience with.’ He handled the monotony by counting strokes and having a food and drink stop every twenty minutes; he measured the hours this way. He had read Jon Krakauer’s book
The Swimmers 77 Into Thin Air about some people who were lost on Everest. He put a big picture of Mount Everest on his boat and used this as a motivational tool. He thought about the people who battled frostbite and overcame unspeakable conditions on Everest and this drove him to complete his swim. ‘I visualised myself collecting the medal because I didn’t want to fail.’ At the fifteen-kilometre mark he caught up with his daughter’s team. She entered the water to swim her leg and he tried to swim at her pace, but he hurt his shoulder. He was in a lot of pain but just kept looking at Everest on the side of his boat and maintained the attitude, ‘I’m swimming to Rottnest and I’m finishing.’ Stephen had water coming at him for most of his solo swim; the current took him north. The last one or two kilometres were difficult coming in against the current but he pushed through and completed his goal. His wife, children and father were waiting to congratulate him at the finish line. Stephen and his family have been involved with the Rottnest Channel Swim, in one capacity or another, since its inception in 1991. His wife, Paula, has participated in teams and duos. She swam in a duo with her twin sister, Jodie, while Stephen paddled; they won their category. Stephen’s daughter swam the Rottnest Channel in a team four times, one time as a charity team to raise money for diabetes, and his son has entered the Rottnest Channel Swim twice in a team. It was a huge decision for Dennis Simmons to put together the first all-Aboriginal team to swim to Rottnest. His grandfather had told him the story of the shark, the crocodile and the whale that lived in the waters and warned him never to swim around Cottesloe. Wadjemup (Rottnest) is considered an island of ghosts for some Nyungar Whadjuk people,
ABOVE: Solo swimmer on his way to Rottnest.
LEFT: Solo swimmers stand to the ready at Cottesloe Beach.
78 Champions & Everyday Heroes LEFT: First all-Aboriginal team emerges from the water at Thomson Bay carrying the Aboriginal Flag.
BELOW: Support crew for the ICEA team.
not a place to visit or swim to. However, after his grandfather passed away, Dennis received an urge to swim to Wadjemup. He was working as a mentor for students at Lockridge High School alongside Libby Elphick, teacher and coordinator for the Follow the Dream: Partnerships for Success Program. Dennis realised, ‘I want to inspire young Aboriginal people and promote a “can do” attitude; anything is achievable if you want, you just have to take responsibility and action.’ He knew that fear of sharks would be the main problem he faced when putting together a team, therefore he organised eight swimmers and hoped by race day he would have at least four. Dennis learned to swim by watching people at the gym; he didn’t know the strokes, he just pulled himself along. The team was fortunate to have the coach from Trinity College, Dion Mepham, along with solo swimmer Susan Jane Morrison and Greg McLean as coaches and support crew. They trained hard and included two-kilometre swims in the ocean from Scarborough to Trigg. They were extremely scared swimming about 250 metres offshore amongst the sharks. A lot of Dennis’ associates thought he was crazy to swim the Channel and by race day he had lost five of his original swimmers. He was determined to go ahead with the race which meant he had to swim along with his three remaining team members, Brianna Ozies, Vinka Barunga and Brendan Moore. Dennis said, ‘Now with this swim from Whadjuk to Wadjemup we are swimming back out of respect for our people, past and present.’ It took continuous courage to swim the Channel. With their support boat positioned quite far away, the swimmers had to constantly overcome their fear of sharks. Dennis paced himself in the first half, swimming slower to conserve energy. However, he didn’t find swimming in the ocean too difficult and his team completed in six hours, forty-nine minutes.
The Swimmers 79 Dennis’ purpose for organising a team to enter the Rottnest Channel Swim was ‘to inspire the young ones to achieve things and promote and do good things for our people.’ Dennis is an actor and filmmaker and is producing a documentary about their journey to Wadjemup. Dean Davidson does two pool swims per week and one ocean swim. He loves to be out in the ocean, especially with his friends. ‘I love swimming the swell. I love the rough and tumble and fighting through the waves. A dead-flat day is boring.’ Initially Dean entered the Rottnest Channel Swim, in a duo, by accident. Dean found out, on registration day, that his friend, Miles Kenington, thought he had already agreed to it. Nevertheless, he went along with it and was very happy he did. He had worked for many years on the safety side of the race, as a surf club volunteer. Now it was his turn to participate and gain the swimmer perspective. They called themselves ‘Team DQ’ (short for disqualified) as a bit of a joke because they had been disqualified twice at the Masters Surf Life Saving Event. Dean’s major inspiration was to participate in an event with friends. ‘I love the community spirit.’ The race, for him, is about fun, not speed, although he doesn’t try to swim slowly. He found it more challenging, mentally, swimming to Rottnest compared to doing ocean swims at Cottesloe, however he focussed on relaxing and maintaining rhythm and technique. There were a couple of points when he wondered when it was going to end, but came back to the mental focus. He knew he had trained physically for the race so it was just a case of maintaining the attitude of not giving up. Team DQ completed their duo in just over seven hours. ‘It’s a fun thing to do with friends and a challenge.’
ABOVE: Cott to Rott: Lyndal Gordon, Stuart Cowie, Zoe Davidson and Dean Davidson.
LEFT: Team members congratulate each other on their victory.
80 Champions & Everyday Heroes The following year Dean entered the race in a team with his daughter and friends from the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club. They called themselves ‘Cott to Rott’ and registered as a charity team to raise money for Starlight Children’s Foundation. ‘We were already in volunteer mode so wanted to do a charity swim.’ Dean loves the fact that you can relax on the boat between swims and make a phone call, ‘It’s really relaxed and fun.’
The whole day is unique. You are creating a shared story and a shared experience. All the people who make it happen are part of the team — the support crew, husbands and wives … (Dean Davidson)
Bruce Simpson joined the City of Perth Swimming Club at Crawley Baths in the 1950s as a nipper. He learnt to swim in the river and has been swimming ever since. He started surfing when he was seven years old and learned to surf the huge waves at Margaret River and Yallingup. ‘The ocean and I go together very well.’ He has been involved with the Rottnest Channel Swim for over twenty years as a swimmer, paddler and volunteer timekeeper. ‘Rottnest Channel Swim is a challenge to participate in but it’s also about mateship with a bunch of guys and girls, having fun.’ Bruce has participated in a team eight times over the last twenty-five years. ‘When you do a team swim it’s great fun — heaps of banter on the boat — it makes a great day.’ The training regimen for a team swim is not too strenuous which allows for people of lesser swimming ability to participate in the Rottnest Channel Swim event. During the race, one of the support crew coordinates the length of time for each leg. When it is nearly
ABOVE: Teams and their support crews having fun.
RIGHT: Bruce Simpson (left) with Zoe Davidson and Stuart Cowie.
The Swimmers 81 LEFT: Teams celebrate their arrival at Thomson Bay.
BELOW LEFT AND BELOW RIGHT: Crazy colours and costumes are all part of the Rottnest Channel Swim.
time for the next swimmer to take over, he or she jumps overboard and treads water. The paddler usually does a countdown for the existing swimmer to complete their leg. They tag the next swimmer, who sets off swimming, while the other swimmer climbs back into the boat. ‘The most energy-sapping thing is climbing back into the boat.’ Bruce loves going over the finishing line with his team, ‘Finishing the race is a great moment of joy.’
The Rottnest Pub is a big part of the race. There is a massive gathering of people, everyone is celebrating a shared victory — the camaraderie with your own team and everyone else is really special. (Bruce Simpson)
Lyndal Gordon started swimming at her dad’s swimming club in Wyndham when she was a child. She took up swimming again at university after she became interested in triathlons. She trained in Peter Trench’s squad at Bold Park swimming pool. One of the girls in her squad suggested they enter the Rottnest Channel Swim so, in 1999, they entered as a team for the first time. It was all for fun, they didn’t even realise there were prizes. They took six and a half hours and came third in their category. With no time to rest, Lyndal returned to the mainland, straight away, and went out on the town for a hen’s night! Lyndal has entered the Rottnest Channel Swim four times, in a team, over the last fifteen years — twice with friends, once with a group of parents from her children’s school and lastly with a group of friends from the surf club. ‘The best part, for me, was doing it with four different teams. Each person that put it together wanted to achieve different things.’
82 Champions & Everyday Heroes LEFT: Female team arrives at Thomson Bay.
She loves the fun aspect of the race, nude swimmers swimming past, teams dressed in crazy costumes and one year a random fishing boat anchored and began fishing in the middle of the Rottnest Channel Swim course. He certainly didn’t plan on moving so the swimmers went around him. The worst part of the race, for Lyndal, is feeling cold, ‘You need to get warm, towel down and put a jumper on.’ However, this is a small price to pay for the opportunity to swim the Rottnest Channel. She loves the experience of swimming out of the Channel and into the waters at Rottnest, ‘The water goes lighter and lighter blue until it is crystal clear.’ This is followed by the amazing ‘we can do this’ feeling experienced after they cross the finish line. Zoe Davidson has been involved in ocean activities for as long as she can remember. She started in the nippers at Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club when she was six years old, entering races as soon as she could and finally joining in with the club’s ocean swims when she was thirteen. She was surrounded by people, including her dad, who had participated in the Rottnest Channel Swim and this inspired her to enter. At just fourteen years old, Zoe and her friends from Mercedes College registered for their first team swim in 2013. They took preparations for their swim very seriously. Not only did they train at the pool on their rhythm and technique but they also practiced eating at regular intervals, whilst swimming, and took a boat out on the Swan River to practice climbing in and out. ‘We loved training together; we are great friends.’ By event day the ‘MC Spunkettes’, dressed in matching team bathers, were ready. Their paddler was decorated with bright balloons so the first swimmer in the team could find him easily. ‘At the start it was like — WOW, we’re actually doing this!’
The Swimmers 83 The friendly competition with a rival boat spurred the girls on and motivated them to swim faster. ‘Finishing together, as a team, was one of the best things. We felt so happy and excited to complete. 96FM had an underwater speaker playing music for the last 100 metres — it was really cool.’ The excitement didn’t stop there. While enjoying a snack with their mums at the Aristos cafe on Rottnest, they discovered the MC Spunkettes came first in the female category of the 100-year age group, and third overall. ‘The “we did it!” feeling was a bit surreal.’ Amidst screams of joy, they went to collect their prize then were rewarded with free drinks and food by the cafe owner.
LEFT: The ‘MC Spunkettes’ from Mercedes College. Left to right: Kate Martin, Zoe Davidson, Aleisha Sleight and Isabella Norrish.
RIGHT: Swimmers run into the water at Cottesloe Beach.
84 Champions & Everyday Heroes The Swimmers 85 LEFT: Team swimmers. Left to right: Alysia Turner, Susie Maroney, Tamara Bruce and Jennifer Reilly.
YOUNGEST TO OLDEST
Although Tamara Bruce may not be the youngest swimmer to ever enter the race, she embodies the spirit of young swimmers and represents one of the most remarkable achievements to date. She started swimming when she was a baby and did her first fifty-metre swim at just two and half years old. She entered the Maylands Swim Thru and ocean races, as well as breaking numerous swimming records in the State Championships. She entered the Sydney Harbour Marathon, a thirty-kilometre swim from Manly to Darling Harbour and back, in November 1991. This was an ‘invitation only’ event, where Tamara found herself competing against some of the best international swimmers. She placed twelfth overall. The following year, in 1992, she entered the Rottnest Channel Swim for the first time, as a solo swimmer, and won with a time of 4:13:58. At fourteen years of age, she set the record for the fastest time to Natural Jetty even though she swam right into Thomson Bay before swimming across to Natural Jetty. Tamara’s swim created a media uproar, as representatives flew in from all the different TV stations to interview her. ‘My first solo swim to Rottnest was pretty special. I was really happy to win but the swim was never about winning, it was more about just swimming to Rottnest.’ She found the swim fairly easy; she is a strong swimmer, swims fast and has a personal drive that doesn’t allow her to give up. She focussed on her dad during the swim, who was also her coach. ‘I am at home in the ocean. I just got in and did my thing. I’m very strong.’ The only thing Tamara found difficult about the Rottnest swim was the stingers; she was stung very badly and carried scars for two years afterwards.
86 Champions & Everyday Heroes Tamara’s training regime consisted of ten to eleven pool sessions and three gym cross- training sessions per week plus surf life saving training every Sunday from September to April. She made the Junior State team in life saving and, as a result, travelled to Tasmania where she competed in freezing cold waters. ‘I love open water, the roughness of it and swimming in different waters.’ Tamara went on to achieve international success. She made the Australian swim team in 1992 but was too young to compete in the World Championships. She swam the English Channel in 1994 and, until last year, held the record for the fastest overall swimmer to cross the Channel solo, and still holds the record for the fastest female solo swimmer. She made the Pan Pacific team in 1995 and competed in Atlanta. She loves being an open water swimmer; ‘It’s what I like, what I enjoy. I like the different bodies of water. I like rough water. It’s a different race each time.’ Tamara has been involved with the Rottnest Channel Swim event almost since its inception. She made a bet with herself to do ten solo crossings to Rottnest and achieved this goal, along with a team crossing and a duo crossing. She now trains others for the Rottnest Channel Swim at Victoria Park Swimming Club, along with her dad, Roger Bruce. She also goes out in the support boats on race day as a coach for her swimmers. Dieter Loeliger comes from Switzerland and is the oldest competitor to enter the Rottnest Channel Swim, a status he has maintained since his first swim in 1996 at the age of sixty-three. He began his competitive swimming career when he was sixteen. One year later, he discovered an additional benefit from swimming. He suffered from an asthma attack and headed for the nearest swimming pool and began swimming; within ten minutes the symptoms subsided. Dieter graduated to open water swimming and completed his longest marathon swim on Lake
ABOVE: Dieter Loeliger completed another solo swim on his 80th birthday in 2013.
LEFT: Dieter Loeliger (oldest swimmer) with Tim Kuruckchi (youngest swimmer), 2013.
The Swimmers 87 Zurich, twenty-six kilometres long. He arrived at South Australia in 1969 before moving to Margaret River in Western Australia. He loves swimming, it is his therapy. In 2003, he celebrated his 70th birthday as he crossed the Rottnest Channel. At the presentations he was asked if he would do a solo again. He replied that he wouldn’t unless everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him. Several thousand people obliged so the following year he completed another solo swim. Dieter trains three to six times a week with his partner, covering up to six kilometres each time. He believes this helps him to achieve his peak fitness level, although technique is more important to him than power. He works on streamlining his body to get his legs up and his feet breaking the water. ‘Feel more like an eagle than a pigeon’ is his motto. ‘Swimming for me means zero gravity and freedom. You can move the way you like and observe under the water.’ During a long distance swim he counts strokes. He swims 2750 metres per hour which gives him an idea where he is during the swim. The most difficult thing for Dieter to overcome, when swimming for longer than eight hours, is the idea of giving up. It is very important to maintain focus. He used to take around six and half hours to complete the Rottnest Channel crossing but as he’s grown older it’s started taking longer, up to eight and a half hours. He doesn’t find it any more difficult; he paces himself so he can conserve energy for the entire swim. In 2013, Dieter completed his fifteenth solo swim of the Rottnest Channel on his 80th birthday, with a time of 8:27. ‘I was very proud to complete the swim on my 80th birthday.’ He is officially the oldest person to have swum across the Rottnest Channel. He was greeted at Rottnest by a big crowd of people, once again singing ‘Happy Birthday’. He exclaimed, ‘I am feeling beyond words. I feel like I own the island.’
ABOVE: Dieter Loeliger completing his second solo swim, 2004.
RIGHT: Dieter shows off his swimming muscles.
88 Champions & Everyday Heroes ABOVE: Duo team contemplate the swim to Rottnest.
RIGHT: A colourful paddler accompanies her swimmer.
The Swimmers 89 Swimmers coming into the finish line on Rottnest Island
90 Champions & Everyday Heroes FUN FACT: In 2001, British junior water polo player Philip Martin, bribed with a keg of Kilkenny, swam butterfly all the way to Rottnest. His armpits were so sore for the following week, he had to use a whole tub of sorbolene to relieve them.
FACTS AND FIGURES: Peter Galvin became the first person to win all three categories of the Rottnest Channel Swim: the solo event in 1991, the duo event in 1992, and the team event in 1994.
In 2005, Jarrad Nederpelt became the second person to have won the solo, duo and team events.
ABOVE: Team member arrives at Thomson Bay swimming butterfly.
LEFT: Team runs towards the finish line.
The Swimmers 91 SOLO RECORDS Record Year Time Swimmer First Male Crossing 1956 9:45:00 Gerd von Dincklage First Female Crossing 1969 9:35:00 Lesley Meaney (nee Cherriman) First Male Double Crossing 1991 14:08:05 Peter Tanham First Female Double Crossing 1994 12:06:12 Barbara Pellick First Male Triple Crossing 2013 18:48:00 Rohan Hollick First Female Triple Crossing 2013 18:48:00 Ceinwen Roberts Fastest Male 2000 4:00:15 Mark Saliba Fastest Female 1993 4:10:03 Tamara Bruce (Natural Jetty) 2000 4:25:53 Bronwyn Whitehead (Thomson Bay) First Backstroke Crossing 2005 22:20 Hamish Osborne First Breastroke Crossing 2001 9:29:37 Ian Wallace First Butterfly Crossing 2001 9:45:07 Philip Martin Oldest Male 2013 8:27:40 Dieter Loeliger (80) Oldest Female 2014 8:18:20 Irene Keel (73) Youngest Male 1994 5:49:56 V Kutraleeshwaran (13) Youngest Female 1995 6:14:58 Chhavimadan (12) Most Crossings Male 2013 n/a Peter Tanham (28) Most Crossings Female 2010 n/a Barbara Pellick (25)
DUO RECORDS Record Year Time Team Swimmer Fastest Male 2001 3:55:54 Timewise Jarrad Nederpelt / Travis Nederpelt Fastest Female 2014 4:22:46 Sacha Jaime Bowler / Sacha Downing Fastest Mixed 2012 4:08:11 Team Shotz Sports Nutrition Heidi Gan / Simon Huitenga Oldest Male 2012 5:51:29 Jeremy and the Pacemaker (121) Stephen Twartz / Jeremy Allen 2012 5:54:09 Bruckanears (121) Alan Williamson / Cyril Baldock Oldest Female 2001 7:25:11 Milky Way (109) Masame Ninose / Mayumi Takebayashi Oldest Mixed 2013 6:51:23 136 Years and Still Swimming (135) Rostyn Colam / Carrol Wannell 2011 7:04:11 The Two of Us (122) Jan McGowan / Terry Dixson Youngest Male 1998 – In 2 Deep (26) Peter Doyle / Peter Garnett Youngest Female 2001 4:43:36 City Chix (29) Sarah Hennig / Nikita Barsby 2003 6:43:47 Arena Angels (29) Robyn Earl / Rachael Williams 2011 7:02:38 Barracudas Duo (29) Emily Dinsdale / Jessie Elder Youngest Mixed 1998 – Young Blackies (28) Louise Blackmore / Luke Blackmore 2005 5:47:42 Double Trouble (28) Sophie Garrett / Matthew Garrett Male 26–49 2001 3:55:54 Timewise Jarrad Nederpelt / Travis Nederpelt Male 50–74 2014 4:11:24 Last Year’s Heroes Jeremy Brooke-Smith / Toby Jones Male 75–99 2012 4:21:40 Ben and Tim Hewitt Ben Hewitt / Tim Hewitt Male 100+ 2012 4:21:08 2 Pauls Paul Blackbeard / Paul Vivers Female 26–49 2014 4:22:46 Sacha Jaime Bowler / Sacha Downing Female 50–74 2012 4:26:25 Bennett + Co Jaime Bowler / Heidi Gan Female 75–99 2001 4:46:06 T.P.C. Paula Redbond / Jodi Smith Female 100+ 2012 5:50:09 KPI’s Pip Sivwright / Kim Tyler Mixed 26–49 2013 4:08:11 Team Shotz Sports Nutrition Heidi Gan / Simon Huitenga Mixed 50–74 2014 4:55:17 Chinny & Skinny Andrew Roberts / Ceinwen Roberts Mixed 75–99 2014 4:33:19 Shared Muffins Rohan Hollick / Naomi Watters Mixed 100+ 2013 5:33:40 The Freo Duo Kim Tyler / Aaron Maxwell
92 Champions & Everyday Heroes
TEAM RECORDS Record Year Time Team Swimmer Fastest Male 2004 3:43:02 The Invincibles / DFG Homeloan Jarrad Nederpelt / Aaron Holding / Travis Nederpelt / Josh Sinclair Fastest Female 2001 4:14:47 Steve Smith’s Aspire Fitness Melissa Benson / Diane Bevan / Natalie Benson / Tammie Smith Fastest Mixed 2014 4:09:24 Milsy’s Minions Guy Harrison-Murray / Heidi Gan / Kieran Trump / Solomon Wright Oldest Male 2014 5:59:32 Old Bridge Cellars / Urbanstone John Guilfoyle / Peter Hodge / Robert Houston / Robert Kennedy / Good Guys (256) Oldest Female 2014 7:44:33 Uminchu Nadeshiko (246) Naoko Fukuchi / Michiko Hashimoto / Kiyoko Inoue / Setsuko Yoshida Oldest Mixed 2004 7:29:03 Fintastics (245) Keith Jones / Frances Jelovsek / John Church / Wendy Smith Youngest Male 2001 4:37:43 Arena Marlins (53) Chris Guard / Nathan Johnson / Jason Mills / Blake Tocker Youngest Female 1999 5:31:30 Bad Girls (53) Emma Jones / Sarah Ward / Louise O’Halloran / Katherine Graham 2002 6:11:15 Double JK’s (53) Jennifer Crocker / Kennia Lotter / Kim Lowett / Joslyn Sandover Youngest Mixed 2001 4:32:11 2 Guys, A Girl & Little Mac (55) Alexandra Stock / Ian McIntyre / Jesse McDonald / Jonathon Stock Male 52–99 2004 3:43:02 The Invincibles / DFG Homeloans Jarrad Nederpelt / Aaron Holding / Travis Nederpelt / Josh Sinclair Male 100–149 2014 3:47:29 Rottnest Express Malcolm Allen / David Locke / Deane Pieters / Liam Ryan Male 150–199 2012 4:13:23 Statewide Oil Slammers James O’Toole / Greg Tate / Todd Pearson / Colin Braund Male 200–249 2010 5:05:23 Durban Daredevils Paul Blackbeard / Stefan Kohler / Brian May / Maurice Westerweller Male 250+ 2014 5:59:32 Old Bridge Cellars / Urbanstone John Guilfoyle / Peter Hodge / Robert Houston / Robert Kennedy / Good Guys (256) Female 52–99 2001 4:14:47 Steve Smith’s Aspire Fitness Melissa Benson / Diane Bevan / Natalie Benson / Tammie Smith Female 100–149 1993 4:29:08 Head to Head (Natural Jetty) Jane Cole / Natalie Oberman / Leith Weston / L Allard 1997 4:37:45 Murray Clarks / Femme Fatale Leith Watson / Jane Cole / Sue Turner / Natalie Oberman (Thomson Bay) Female 150–199 2014 5:01:15 Day Without The Kids Lisa Bergin / Paula Hill / Amanda Lee / Clare Whitehead Female 200+ 2005 5:27:57 Oceanswims.com Shelley Taylor-Smith / Suanne Hunt / Denise Elder / Gillian Chapman Mixed 52–99 2014 4:09:24 Millsy’s Minions Guy Harrison-Murray / Heidi Gan / Kieran Trump / Solomon Wright Mixed 100–149 2014 4:34:59 Men From Mares Warren Jones / Elly Sagar / Jake Smith / Jeff Vidler Mixed 150–199 2014 4:27:50 This Isn’t The Pier To Pub Talbot Henry / Sam Hume / Ben Jesse / Naantali Marshall Mixed 200+ 2005 4:56:52 Commodore Catherine Shycock / Mike Kennedy / Mike Cook / Martine Hennig
THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE HAVE COMPLETED TEN OR MORE SOLO CROSSINGS OF THE ROTTNEST Peter Tanham 28 Fiona Grieves 11 Doug Craig 10 Barbara Pellick 25 Andrew Hunt 11 Geoff Wilson 10 Mary-Anne Paton 21 Jim Smith 11 Dieter Loeliger 15 Tamara Bruce 10 Andrew Page 15 David Craig 10 Stephen Junk 14 Gary Claydon 10 Bill McKenzie 12 Murray Glaskin 10
The Swimmers 93 LEFT: Team arrives at Thomson Bay victorious.
BELOW: Melissa Benson wins the female solo category in 2002.
FUN FACT: In 1991, Carrol, at the age of forty-eight, and Max Wannell were the first married couple to perform individual solo swims in the Rottnest Channel Swim race. Carrol had done open water swims around Perth before, but nothing further than five kilometres. In 1993, they set another record as the first husband and wife to swim in a duo to Rottnest. Carrol was also the first grandma to swim to Rottnest. Since then, Carrol has swum in teams, duos and completed nine solo crossings, with her last one in 2014 at the age of seventy. She is the oldest local female to do the swim. ‘It’s a wonderful experience and a challenge … if I can do it, anyone can!’
I love long distance swimming. I enjoy the training and all the friends I’ve made along the way. (Carrol Wannell)
94 Champions & Everyday Heroes MEMORABLE MOMENT: After Paul Miller moved to Perth from England, he kept seeing Rottnest Channel Swim number plates on cars and he wanted to own one. He was not a swimmer, in fact he hadn’t even swum one kilometre, but he was determined to do a solo swim to Rottnest at some point. In 2013, his reason presented itself. He fell in love with Louise Anton, a female contestant from Perth who appeared on the reality television show, ‘The Voice’. His best friend told him to contact her via Facebook and, although reluctant, he went ahead and invited Louise on a date. She refused but after a few messages backwards and forwards she agreed and the rest is history. After a whirlwind romance, Paul decided he wanted to propose to Louise and he made a plan. He enrolled in Shelley Taylor-Smith’s twenty-week course to prepare for a solo swim to Rottnest. During his swim sessions, he figured out the best place to secure a diamond ring in order to propose to Louise at the finish line. He practiced attaching a two-dollar coin to different parts of his body with gaffer tape. On 22 February 2014, Paul set off on his first open water marathon swim from Cottesloe to Rottnest with a diamond ring firmly attached to his ankle. Channel Nine had been alerted to his plan and sent a media crew to wait at Rottnest Island for Paul’s arrival; they were keen to capture the reaction of Louise, a singer and television personality. Paul swam with the viewpoint ‘failure is not an option’. His parents had come over from Portugal to watch the momentous event and his beautiful girlfriend waited for him at Rottnest, oblivious to his plan. Paul had the mindset to just keep going, no matter what. Once he passed the ten-kilometre mark, he felt like he was on the home straight. He swam into the clear waters of Thomson Bay where he ran over the timing mat, clocking a time of 7:18:50 – Louise and his parents were there to congratulate him. He bent on one knee and fiddled around with the gaffer tape to pull the ring out. Louise thought he was removing his timing strap until he presented the diamond ring, which he had especially commissioned. He proposed and, although completely shocked, she happily accepted.
The Swimmers 95
THE ROLE OF THE COACH
The Rottnest Channel Swim is a win for the community, a win for everyone. (Peter Trench)
Coaches from all over the metropolitan and country areas train swimmers for the Rottnest Channel Swim. One such coach is Peter Trench who trains a squad of about forty mature-age swimmers, averaging about ten solos, six duos and five teams of four per year. He trains swimmers all year round but training begins to intensify for the Rottnest Channel swimmers from September. Peter runs four training sessions per week but as sessions increase (see Table), his swimmers take additional sessions with another coach such as Shelley Taylor-Smith. Shelley’s training includes some of her open water swims where she takes a support boat out into the ocean and creates a Rottnest Channel Swim scenario. Peter’s swimmers participate in the Swimming WA Open Water Series and he takes them on open water swims from Leighton to Cottesloe or further beyond to Swanbourne and City Beach. They also enter the Rotto Rehearsal to ensure they qualify for the annual event.
LEFT: Solo swimmers greased up and ready to go. RIGHT: Bruce Simpson paddling for a swimmer.
97 LEFT: Team swimmers run into the ocean at Cottesloe Beach.
BELOW: Swimmers wade through the water to the finish line.
Swimming training is specifically broken down into 20 per cent hard/high-speed swimming, which increases heart rate and builds anaerobic energy, and 80 per cent endurance (long distance) swimming, which increases aerobic energy and the ability to swim longer distances. The swimmer learns to maintain faster swimming for a longer period through this ratio of training. Some swimmers monitor heart rate to gain more control over their swimming ability. Peter also breaks the training into three weeks’ hard training and one week easy training to give the body a chance to rest and recover. Peter doesn’t just focus on the swimming. His comprehensive program contains other vital elements including: a medical check; a musculoskeletal assessment prior to the swimmer commencing training to determine any predisposition to injury; an appointment with a sports dietician to work out a hydration and nutrition program for before, during and after the race; an optional VO2 max test which establishes heart rate; land-based shoulder conditioning, core conditioning and stretching; and optional massage. Swimmers are responsible for organising their own hydration and food for the Rottnest Channel Swim. Their support person administers it throughout race day. The support crew and paddler play a key role in ensuring the swimmer makes it to Rottnest. The support person is a motivator. The last five to six kilometres can become difficult and the support crew must be alert should their swimmer show distress signals. They also need to ensure their swimmer takes enough food and hydration to make it to the finish line. The swimmer’s personal vision is the other crucial part of their goal to swim to Rottnest. Peter helps them to find their personal ‘why’. Locating the reason why they want to do the swim assists the swimmer to commit to their training regime and motivates them to achieve
98 Champions & Everyday Heroes their goal. Peter’s health and fitness focus ensures the swimmer has the physical ability to complete the swim. The hardest part of doing the Rottnest Channel Swim is the training. If the swimmer has a clear vision and is committed to the training, their motivation to make it to Rottnest is high. Peter says, ‘If you prepare well, you will perform well.’
I am trying to get the athlete to come up with their own health and wellness program, incorporating spiritual, mental and physical aspects. (Peter Trench, coach)
Peter teaches his swimmers to look at race day as another big, long training session; ‘Don’t do something different on race day.’ Swimmers must be well-rested, and hydration and food must be prepared in advance and safely in the hands of their support crew; ‘If they take some responsibility, that’s 90 per cent of the game.’ Peter has participated in the Rottnest Channel Swim ten times in a duo, and regularly placed in his category.
I think mass participation events are fantastic. Increasing participation means increasing health ... The great thing about the Rottnest Channel Swim is you can have a solo swimmer alongside a team swimmer — it is a great strength of the event. (Peter Trench)
ROTTNEST CHANNEL SWIM TRAINING PROGRAM — SOLO
MONTH SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB
PHASE BASE – Endurance BASE – Strength Strength Specific Prep. Specific Prep. TAPER Swimming
Number of Sessions per week 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 6 6 5
Pool/Open Water per week 3 to 4 / 0 4 to 5 / 0 4 / 1 5 / 1 5 / 1 4 / 1
Total distance per week 12 to 15 km 18 to 23 km 25 to 28 km 30 to 36 km 30 to 36 km 25 to 12 km
Long swim distance per week 5 km 6 to 8 km 8 to 10 km 10 to 12 km 10 to 12 km Event
Stretching Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily
Core conditioning per week 3 3 2 2 2 2
The Role of the Coach 99
THE SUPPORT CREWS
Without the crew there is no swim. (Barbara Pellick)
Swimming to Rottnest is a team activity and, in the months leading up to the race, family approval is essential due to the intense training regimen. The swimmer cannot embark on their journey to Rottnest without their support crew which consists of the skipper, a zodiac skipper (if used), one or two support people, the swimming coach (sometimes), and a paddler.
LEFT: Aerial view of paddlers waiting to meet with the oncoming swimmers. RIGHT: Swimmers, support crews and their boats.
101 LEFT: Paddlers wait in their holding bay for swimmers.
BELOW: Captain Allan Gray skippers for ‘Cott to Rott’ team.
Rob Gibellini was introduced to the Rottnest Channel Swim by the first President of the Association, John Whitehead. John said, ‘We need skippers!’ So Rob obliged and has skippered since 1992. It is a big role to skipper in the Rottnest Channel Swim. The boat must be prepared about two weeks before. It needs to be serviced, filled with petrol and stocked with the required food and drinks to maintain the swimmer’s energy and hydration. The skipper sets the course, which is the shortest possible route from the start at Cottesloe Beach to the finish line at Thomson Bay. ‘The skipper is responsible for navigation and the swimmer is responsible for swimming.’ (Rob Gibellini) In the early years of the race, boats and paddlers clustered around the shore and met up with their swimmer as soon as they set off. Now that there are 2300 swimmers, the management of the race is very different. ‘You have to meet with your team before the race and make sure you know how you are going to spot your swimmer.’ (Rob Gibellini) Swimmers leave in waves of three so there are about one hundred swimmers, one hundred boats and one hundred paddlers who all need to find each other. The swimmer normally wears a specific coloured hat and the paddler has a specific marker, such as coloured balloons. If all else fails, the meeting point for boat, paddler and swimmer is at the anchor point of the Leeuwin.
The atmosphere is electric. All the participants are excited. People are in fancy dress. There are balloons on kayaks. There’s a festival atmosphere, a party atmosphere. (Kevin Edward)
102 Champions & Everyday Heroes The skipper must now maintain the boat as close as possible to the course he has established, allowing for wind, waves and currents. The boat is the navigation marker for the paddler who follows the boat, and the swimmer follows the paddler about five to ten metres away, to allow for oncoming waves. ‘I enjoy the challenge of getting the swimmers to the other side.’ (Rob Gibellini) Rob has skippered ten times for solo and duo swimmers, plus carried a referee on board. The skipper’s role is very challenging. Skippers manage surrounding vessels, direct the course and current, and watch out for swimmers while leading their own solo swimmer or team to the finish line.
The skipper’s role is very tiring as he is responsible for having a swimmer in the water any duration from four to ten hours. You have to really concentrate — you can’t run the swimmer over, especially when they are coming up to the boat in duos, plus you have to navigate. (Rob Gibellini)
On arrival at Thomson Bay, while the team goes off to celebrate, the skipper’s job is still not done. He has to pack away and moor the boat before he can join in with the celebrations. Captain Allan Gray, Harbour Master at Fremantle Port Authority, has also skippered for a team and agrees that it takes a lot of concentration to watch out for a swimmer’s safety while maintaining course at their speed. The role varies depending on who you are skippering for. If skippering for a solo swimmer, the main role is to be there in case of
ABOVE: Swimmers race towards the paddlers.
LEFT: Solo competitor, Jarrad Lawford, has a drink around the fifteen-kilometre mark.
The Support Crews 103 emergency. If skippering for a team, the skipper has to be very alert while the swimmers make their changeovers and climb in and out of the boat. As Captain Gray’s boat was a thirty-eight foot twin engine, he had to stay out of the main thoroughfare and used a zodiac to pick up and drop off the swimmers. Race Official Murray Glaskin, who has participated as a solo swimmer in the Rottnest Channel Swim ten times, believes the work of a skipper is underestimated. The skipper has to keep the paddler on course, who keeps the swimmer on course. ‘If the winds are up and the tide’s strong, it’s easy to blow off course and skippers will have to work really hard to stay on course. They need to be alert and on the ball all day.’ (Murray Glaskin) Bruce Simpson, a paddler for forty years, has been paddling in the Rottnest Channel Swim since the early days of the race. He paddles about two metres away from his swimmer and acts as their guide to Rottnest, always keeping them on the shortest possible route. ‘It’s easy to be pushed off course by the current and winds.’ It isn’t just the swimmers who exert a lot of energy on the day. It is a feat of physical strength to maintain an upright position, close to the swimmer, in challenging conditions, for anywhere between four to ten hours. ‘It’s emotionally quite draining and you feel weary but there’s lots of adrenaline running around.’ (Bruce Simpson) In the 1990s there was no GPS so the paddler had to go by sight. Bruce picked an exact point at Rottnest which he used as a marker and then headed for that point. ‘Wherever you look, Rottnest looks in front of you, it’s deceiving but you can add extra kilometres by going wide.’ (Bruce Simpson) Although paddler Catie Willis has already established what will identify her swimmer, she still finds the most nerve-wracking part of the race is locating her swimmer after he or she dives into the water at Cottesloe. ‘It’s really busy out there too so it’s really important to ABOVE: Support crews in action. keep eyes on your swimmer and the traffic around you.’ Before the race, Catie works out a series of unmistakable signals with her swimmer so if they veer off course she can get them back on track and provide food if they need it. ‘It’s my job to get my swimmers to Rotto as efficiently as possible and with enough fuel to ensure they are okay.’ Many of the support crew are also swimmers who like lending a hand to a friend. In 1987, Shelley Taylor-Smith flew back to Perth and offered her help as support crew for Peter Blackmore’s first solo swim across the Rottnest Channel. An eight-year-old Ceinwen Roberts was also part of the support crew, with her parents, for Peter’s first solo crossing. Peter survived on bread and water for the whole journey and struggled to make the finish line. It taught Shelley the importance of crews knowing about food and hydration when supporting such a long swim. Peter Blackmore also likes to help other swimmers achieve their goals, and offered to be part of Ceinwen Robert’s support crew for her record-breaking triple crossing to Rottnest. The support crew’s role begins before the race, attending training swims with the swimmer, testing food to ensure the right type is packed for race day, gaining knowledge on subjects like body dynamics, hypothermia, nutrition and timing (stroke counts), and attending pre- race meetings to work out rotation of swimmers if supporting a team swim. Before race day all supplies such as blankets, food (packed in separate food packs for each food stop) and drinks must be ready. The support crew feed the swimmer about every half hour and check for signs of hypothermia, pulling the swimmer out if necessary. Sometimes if there is a coach on
104 Champions & Everyday Heroes LEFT: Swimmer accompanied by paddler and support boat.
BELOW: Support crews in action.
board he or she will have to slow the swimmer down if they are swimming too fast at the beginning. The support crew also make sure the swimmers are rugged up on breaks if it is a team swim and they make sure there’s a good party organised for swimmers at the end of their swim. ‘It’s lots of fun and exciting being part of the support crew.’ (Peter Blackmore) Kevin Edward’s role, as support crew, was to drive a zodiac and ferry swimmers backwards and forwards to the main support boat. He was responsible for having the next swimmer in his zodiac ready to jump in and tag the swimmer who had just completed their leg. ‘I pulled a swimmer in and put one out about seven hundred times during the race to Rottnest.’ (Kevin Edward) Teams also had two paddlers who alternated every hour so Kevin assisted with their changeover. Kevin’s team took just over seven hours to complete the race and he manned the zodiac for the entirety. ‘It was good to be part of it; it was one of those feel-good moments in life.’
The Support Crews 105 MEMORABLE MOMENTS: One year, an adult sperm whale on its way north swam straight through the middle of the fleet of Rottnest Channel swimmers. It caused quite a stir.
ABOVE: A wave of 100 swimmers runs into the Indian Ocean at race start.
LEFT: Kevin Edward throws a line out to Lyndal Gordon who just completed her swimming leg.
106 Champions & Everyday Heroes ABOVE: Team swimmer jumps into the water FUN FACTS: In 1991, John Whitehead conducted a solo ready to swim his leg. swim to Rottnest. He was accompanied by his friend
RIGHT: Recognition certificate earned by Tom Brown, who was armed with a spear gun to fend John Whitehead. off any unwelcome predators. After John arrived at Rottnest, a concerned Tom Brown exclaimed that John was covered in blood. It turned out that the enthusiastic spearfisherman had forgotten to put his booties on and his flippers had rubbed blisters all over his feet, which then started to bleed. This had left a trail of blood behind him all the way to Rottnest.
The Support Crews 107 108 Champions & Everyday Heroes MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Although the waters between Cottesloe and Rottnest are renowned for their great whites, there have been no sightings during the Rottnest Channel Swim race in the last twenty- five years. Smaller sharks have been sighted and procedure is followed when this is the case. In 2008, as an additional measure, the surf life saving chopper began flying over the swim to look out for sharks and keep an eye out for swimmers or boats in trouble. Swimmers are mostly not concerned with sharks. They are focussed on the swim and let their crews take care of the rest. Peter Tanham’s crew once spotted a shark about 100 metres ahead of him. ‘I could see the fin very clearly from the water. I moved closer to the boat and we maintained our position for a few minutes while the shark just continued along.’ (Peter Tanham) Barbara Pellick has seen a couple of sharks on the way to Rottnest on different years. ‘I have even had one quite close while I was swimming. Strangely I haven’t been scared … felt they just
RIGHT: Paddler and swimmer are united.
LEFT: Race start.
The Support Crews 109
ROTTNEST ISLAND
The annual Rottnest Channel Swim event is the biggest day of the year for Rottnest Island. In excess of 10,000 people descend on Rottnest to celebrate the achievement of Rottnest Channel swimmers. Paolo Amaranti became the CEO of Rottnest Island Authority in 2004 and has been waiting at the finish line of every Rottnest Channel Swim race since. He remembers looking out from Army Jetty in 2005, his first race, and being amazed at the number of boats coming over the horizon towards Rottnest. ‘I watched the armada come over the horizon and thought — where are they going to go?’ Nevertheless, Rottnest Island has devised a way to accommodate the fleet of surf skis and support boats.
LEFT: Thomson Bay, Rottnest, set up for race day. RIGHT: Surf skis pulled onto the beach at Thomson Bay.
111 LEFT: Support boats moored at Rottnest Isand.
BELOW: Swimmers and their supporters.
RIGHT BELOW: Swimmers at the finish line on Rottnest Island.
FAR RIGHT: Supporters wait in the aquamarine waters of Thomson Bay.
Preparation for race day begins well before the event. The Rottnest Island rangers and risk manager are involved with the Rottnest Channel Swim Association’s Safety Sub-committee and contribute to safety decisions. The Rottnest Island Authority prepares the last 400 metres of the race by placing the 19.25 kilometre buoys and float lines to mark the end of the course. The mainland is prepared by doubling the existing rubbish collections, closing down ferry operations to the main jetty and hiring extra security. Mooring areas are created for surf skis and boats to the north and south of Thomson Bay. Race day is a huge day for Rottnest Island businesses. The island caters for the 2300+ swimmers, along with their friends and family. Although after the race there are over 10,000 people on the island, swimmers and their families act very responsibly so everyone enjoys the day.
It is a day where Rottnest shines and visitors can see what it’s like. Rottnest is synonymous with water and swimming. The swimmers have accomplished a major feat; it’s a hard call swimming across the Channel. The feeling of elation for the swimmers when they arrive, and their families, is amazing. It is like a graduation for some of them. (Paolo Amaranti, CEO, Rottnest Island Authority)
Paolo is proud of the Rottnest Island Authority’s association with the Rottnest Channel Swim. ‘It’s a great event and very well organised.’ The Rottnest Island Authority is a major sponsor of the event and Paolo assists with presentations at the end of the race. ‘It’s an atmosphere we would like to have on the island every day.’
112 Champions & Everyday Heroes FUN FACTS: Unofficial nude swim teams were always an interesting addition to the Rottnest Channel Swim Race. Despite some community opposition, reported by Lesley Meaney in the Winter 2001 issue of Channel Chatter, swimmers continued to conduct nude swims until recently when they were officially asked to refrain from swimming nude, or face disqualification.
Rottnest Island 113 FACTS AND FIGURES: To secure media coverage for the 2000 Rottnest Channel Swim race, the events coordinator for the race arranged for a group of physiotherapy students from Curtin University to deliver 200 baked pies from the Rottnest Bakery to newspaper, magazine, radio and television outlets around Perth. The pies came with a message, ‘Here’s a taste of things to come’, and highlighted the range of initiatives for the 2000 swim. Apparently there were fights over pies amongst journalists, receptionists and co- workers. Neverthless, the pies achieved the anticipated response, with some excellent media coverage of the Rottnest Channel Swim.
RIGHT: Swimmer at the finish line on Rottnest Island.
114 Champions & Everyday Heroes Rottnest Island 115 LEFT: Swimmers with their paddlers.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS: During the nineties, while Bruce Simpson was paddling for Jim Smith, a former Zambian Olympic swimmer, the Channel Ten helicopter came down and hovered over the Channel in order to film the swim. The downdraft blew Bruce off his surf ski and no matter how hard he tried, he could not get back on. He was floundering around in the water, yelling at the helicopter, to no avail. Meanwhile his swimmer swam ahead. When Jim realised he had no paddler he turned around and yelled, ‘Where are you mate?’ Bruce had to wait until the helicopter headed off before he could climb back onto his ski.
116 Champions & Everyday Heroes ABOVE LEFT: Swimmers cross the timing mat at the finish line at Thomson Bay.
ABOVE CENTRE AND RIGHT: Swimmers at the finish line on Rottnest Island.
LEFT: Penny Palfrey wins the female solo category in 2001.
Rottnest Island 117
REGISTER OF SOLO SWIMS 1956–2014
No. Name No. of 040 Wayne Spindler 1 060 David O’Brien 5 Crossings 041 Guy Bailey 1 061 Vic Paul 2 042 Graham Iddles 1 062 Brad Rothnie 1 001 Gerd von Dincklage 1 043 Peter Symons 1 063 Jane Kargotich 1 002 Trevor Seaborn 1 044 Adam Parker 2 064 Claire Evans 5 003 Neil Earl 1 045 Garry Lyon 1 065 Barbara Pellick 25 004 Les Stewart 5 046 Murray Bridgeland 1 066 Rob Jeffery 5 005 Toby Regan 1 047 Brian Kinneen 3 067 Grahame Reader 1 006 Lesley Meaney 4 048 Tony Williams 1 068 Carol Frazer 1 007 Peter Tanham 28 049 Raymond Carter 1 069 Andrew Glauert 1 008 Shane McGurk 2 050 Bridget McArthur 1 070 Gary Stewart 1 009 Brian McGurk 1 051 Ed Hoch 1 071 Larry Hamilton 1 010 Greg Trew 1 052 Gina Kerrich 1 072 Maxine Fitzpatrick 1 011 Keith Blake 1 053 Martin Bryant 1 073 Nola Kinneen 1 012 Tom Brown 3 054 Tracy Altria 1 074 Colleen Line 1 013 Ken Patrick 1 055 Julie Lloyd 2 075 Mark McDermott 2 014 Peter Blackmore 3 056 Brad McCoy 1 076 Jim Smith 11 015 Barry Power 1 057 Steve Cronan 3 077 Kim Gardiner 2 016 Col Levison 1 058 John Nolan 6 078 Graham Weaver 2 017 Ken Edwards 2 059 Dianne Kinneen-Larcombe 2 079 Kelly Dixon 2 018 John Whitehead 2 019 Heather Cambridge 1 020 Gary McKeon 1 021 Garry Maher 1 022 Gary Bromley 1 023 Ron King 2 024 Phil Thomas 1 025 Marc Newman 1 026 Peter Galvin 1 027 Nancy Warnock 6 028 Matthew Schneider 1 029 Peter Forbes 1 030 Debra Martyn 2 031 Carrol Wannell 9 032 Mary-Anne Paton 21 033 Shirley Thurston 1 034 Max Wannell 3 035 Margo Sudintas 2 036 Ian Bower 1 037 Tamara Bruce 10 038 Shelley Taylor-Smith 3 039 Dieter Gebauer 2
119 No. Name No. of 139 Bev Tillman 3 201 Lisa Kelaher 1 263 Jonathan Gregson 3 Crossings 140 Andrew Frayne 1 202 Jason Linaker 2 264 Charles Richards 2 141 Shirley Cull 3 203 Jade Greenland 1 265 Mark Pugsley 1 080 Bob McNeven 1 142 Peter Bradford 3 204 Ryan Aviet 4 266 Matt Rutter 3 081 Peter Houwen 1 143 Grant Robinson 2 205 Justin Cook 3 267 Chris Cook 1 082 Jason Diederich 3 144 Lisa Whitmore 1 206 Craig McArthur 2 268 Scott Jessop 1 083 Graeme Rothnie 1 145 Benjamin King 2 207 Geoff Wilton 4 269 Ron Edwards 1 084 Tom Clarke 6 146 Ray Dixon 1 208 Steve Raynes 5 270 Anthony Morgan 1 085 Tony Smith 1 147 Daniel Soanes 9 209 Grant Julian 4 271 Mark Crowther 4 086 Kevin Holtom 1 148 Mark Mulvay 5 210 Wesley Phillips 5 272 Kenlin McKenzie 1 087 Emma Day 2 149 David Harrison 2 211 Hugh Wakefield 1 273 Jonathan Haines 7 088 Russell Ascott 1 150 Peter Farrell 1 212 Peter Jelinek 2 274 Max Naismith 2 089 Ross Abbott 2 151 Tom Baddeley 1 213 Phillip Martin 2 275 Clyde England 1 090 V Kutraleeshwaran 3 152 Andie Hewlett 1 214 James Carroll 1 276 Shane Murphy 1 091 Greg Spicer 1 153 Miranda Liebmann 1 215 Shelley Hatton 3 277 Gavin Buckley 1 092 Colin Mustoe 1 154 Patrick Keenan-Smith 1 216 Cliff Howkins 1 278 William Newitt 2 093 Jeff Vidler 2 155 Fiona Wilson 1 217 James Wallace 2 279 Kim Rea 1 094 Fiona Grieves 11 156 Al Marsh 1 218 David Pether 2 280 Tristan Todd 1 095 Rodney Veal 2 157 Richard Whiting 1 219 John Olsen 1 281 Martin Kelly 1 096 Brett Montgomery 1 158 Adam Smith 1 220 Dominigue Achour-Fisher 1 282 Sandra Smith 1 097 Lynne Cooper 3 159 Bett Craig 7 221 Colin Miller 1 283 Michael Stewart 3 098 Michael Lindsay 1 160 Gabrielle Jolliffe 1 222 Phillip MacCormack 3 284 Wayne Cable 2 099 Carolyn Whiting 1 161 Graham Halton 1 223 Bob Myles 1 285 Tony Kriening 4 100 Andrew Martin 4 162 Carol Lake 2 224 Peter Coyle 1 286 Craig Wallace 3 101 Kim Burkett 1 163 Chris Shellabear 2 225 Robert Kennedy 1 287 Tim Hewitt 6 102 Brian McMahon 1 164 Craig Kremerskothen 1 226 Mike Flower 1 288 Michael Ormsby 3 103 Ed Hamel 1 165 Lindsay Mollison 2 227 John Guilfoyle 1 289 Benjamin Hewitt 8 104 Trevor Pedler 1 166 George Foulsham 1 228 Penny Palfrey 9 290 Glenn Eldon 1 105 David Craig 10 167 Stephen Cresswell 1 229 Glen Meggs 1 291 Gary Semini 2 106 James Kennedy 1 168 Tracey Knowles 1 230 Sarah Hennig 2 292 Jodi Crawford 3 107 Neil Shortte 1 169 Craig Jones 5 231 Stu Fitch 1 293 Brad Hardingham 9 108 John Vergeer 4 170 Madeleine Phillips 1 232 Stephen Junk 14 294 Brent Thompson 1 109 Patricia Smith 1 171 Francis Okely 3 233 Lynne Whittle 1 295 Christina Trapp 5 110 Lisa Wolfinger 1 172 Hollyanne Wigley 3 234 Mark Cockroft 5 296 Alexandra Sare 1 111 Chhavimadan 2 173 Andrew Stewart 1 235 Otto Kamenzin 1 297 Rohan Hollick 8 112 Brian Parker 1 174 Jenny Bradley 2 236 Stephen Twartz 1 298 Peter Thompson (2) 9 113 Stephen Toth 4 175 Doug Craig 10 237 Jeremy Allen 2 299 Andrew Page 15 114 Martine Hennig 2 176 John Throssell 1 238 Robert Murphy 2 300 Melanie Webb 1 115 Gary Claydon 10 177 Simon Kirke 1 239 Michael Ledger 4 301 Gregory Medhurst 3 116 Bill McKenzie 12 178 Rebecca Foreman 3 240 Cassie Robinson 5 302 Karl Spreckley 2 117 Rhonda Maloney 1 179 Margaret Doddridge 2 241 Brett Chaloner 1 303 Kaye Vallance 1 118 Garry Itzstein 1 180 Stephen Reynolds 1 242 Brett Mottram 3 304 Matthew Strika 1 119 Danni Ross 2 181 Pauline Murphy 1 243 Sarah Dixon 1 305 John Muir 7 120 Nigel Wake 1 182 Tomomi Otsuji 5 244 Caryn Kiellor 1 306 Richard Godfrey 2 121 Dieter Loeliger 15 183 Sian Roberts 3 245 John Cooper 1 307 Mitshuiro Kishimoto 3 122 Bruce Hyde 1 184 David Prenderville 1 246 Nick Iles 1 308 Richard Kendall 1 123 Sandy Muir 1 185 James Pittar 6 247 Chris Palfrey 9 309 Chris Davies (1) 2 124 Keith Besomo 5 186 Janet Sutherland 1 248 Ingrid Spencer 1 310 Joe Hartmann 1 125 Neil Bass 3 187 Frank Haverkort 1 249 Mike Millard 1 311 Paul Beukelman 2 126 Peter Duckett 2 188 Alison Farmer 4 250 Louise Riglin 2 312 David Pynt 1 127 Rod Coram 1 189 Natalie Feehan 1 251 Shayne Clinch 1 313 Jessica Mills 1 128 Murray Johnston 3 190 Dianne Edmonds 1 252 Brett Boys 1 314 Bryce Nicholson 3 129 Andrew Crace 5 191 Jenny Owen 1 253 Lynette Bartley 1 315 Peter Bradley 1 130 Mark Reading 1 192 Karen Green 1 254 Samantha Tickner 1 316 Helen Bray 1 131 Robert Leckie 2 193 Graham Adams 1 255 Jim Stevenson 2 317 Tina Harrison 1 132 Julie O’Loughlin 1 194 Michelle Bower 1 256 Jodie Ricci 2 318 Greg Young 3 133 Alan de Lacy 1 195 Veronica Bardowski 2 257 Andrew Bennett 2 319 Peter Sapwell 1 134 Gerry Smyth 1 196 Mark Saliba 4 258 Warren Hewett 1 320 Gary Robinson 1 135 Diane Broad 2 197 Kelly Driffield 1 259 Tom Esze 3 321 Maurice Vaughan 1 136 Niall Warren 4 198 Bronwyn Whitehead 2 260 Ben Patrick 1 322 Stuart Coutts 1 137 Barry Demmler 2 199 Marcus Hinchcliffe 1 261 Kim Beardsell 1 323 Warwick Archer 1 138 Murray Glaskin 10 200 Simon Martin 1 262 Ed Stucken 3 324 Jo Cussons 2
120 Champions & Everyday Heroes 325 Geoff Baars 1 387 Peter Mak 2 449 Tim Lyons 2 511 Tim Barton 1 326 John Cook 2 388 David Payne 2 450 Stuart Weston 2 512 Jeremy Brown 1 327 Barrie Eves 1 389 Pat Manning 1 451 Michael Culley 2 513 John Brookes 1 328 Jan Dunstan 1 390 Gary Payne 2 452 Peter Jones 1 514 Gina Stockwell 2 329 John East 1 391 Scott Thompson 1 453 John Townsend 1 515 Steve Parks 1 330 David McPherson 1 392 Michael Williams 1 454 Teresa Wilkinson 1 516 Richard Williams 3 331 Mark Wheatley 1 393 Peter Bothe 1 455 Brendan Capel 1 517 Martin Lynn 1 332 Matt Jenkins 1 394 Pat Nash 1 456 Scott Turner 2 518 Paul Quigg 1 333 Michael Stacey 1 395 Christian Lutz 1 457 Karl Hennig 3 519 Brendan Hickey 1 334 Rod Bonsack 1 396 Ian McKay 1 458 Ron Morelli 3 520 Henk Bruins 2 335 Richard Hughes 1 397 Bruce Stevenson 1 459 Rachael Williams 2 521 Paul Galvin 2 336 Mike Codde 2 398 James Weston 1 460 Steve Webb 3 522 Ingrid Martin 1 337 Ian Wallace 2 399 Sean Kenwery 1 461 Julie Greenhalgh 4 523 Brett Thornett 1 338 Tim Roberts 7 400 Leonie Webb 1 462 Russell Vitale 2 524 Monica Brown 1 339 Colin White 1 401 Jason Ferris 2 463 Jenny Schob 1 525 Daniel Austin 1 340 David Cooke 1 402 PL Harrold 1 464 Kylie Elbourne 1 526 Therese Harris 1 341 Chris Davies (2) 1 403 Kathryn Murray 1 465 Keira Macfarlane 6 527 Chris Thompson 1 342 Jarrad Nederpelt 2 404 David Campbell 1 466 Gary Couanis 1 528 Madeleine Cox 1 343 Jacob Church 2 405 Colin Blobel 1 467 Sean Green 5 529 Chris Perrott 1 344 Melissa Benson 5 406 David Muir 1 468 Carol McCarthy 1 530 Scott Robinson 1 345 Trent Bowden 1 407 Sue Oldham 7 469 Cameron Murray 2 531 Sean McLoughlin 1 346 Kristina Jenkins 1 408 Greg Mickle 2 470 John Watson 2 532 Conway Church 2 347 Peter Wood 1 409 Lauren Arndt 1 471 Matt Williamson 1 533 Michael Green 1 348 Ben Walker 9 410 Nikki McElroy 1 472 Scarlett Reid 1 534 Joanna Clucas 1 349 Nikita Barsby 3 411 Malcolm Yeates 1 473 Jason Shaw 1 535 Joe Young 1 350 Bruce Havilah 1 412 David Paganin 1 474 Koos van Rensburg 1 536 Lisa Taylor 1 351 Phillip Gorey 1 413 Mark Franks 1 475 Geoff Davieson 1 537 Tim Mather 1 352 John Rock 1 414 Lloyd Flint 1 476 Mark Lawson 1 538 Timothy Wise 1 353 David Snedden 1 415 Simon Storry 1 477 Justin Vivian 1 539 Derek Ferrie 1 354 Adrian Battley 1 416 Daniel Hewitt 1 478 Milton Parry 1 540 Paul Grogan 1 355 Bradley A Johnson 1 417 Jessica Walker 7 479 Michelle Downs 1 541 Joanne Kriel 1 356 Marissa Iddon 1 418 David Barnes 2 480 David Tydeman 1 542 Heather Adams 1 357 Parris Watt 1 419 Katherine Bayley 1 481 David Devenish 1 543 Jennifer McInnes 1 358 Nicola Greenhalgh 1 420 Sally Bell 2 482 Eleanor Parsons 1 544 Bruce Rainbow-Hudson 2 359 Damon Eastaugh 3 421 Kate Bischof 3 483 Linda Gilbert 1 545 Max Watts 1 360 Mick Smith 1 422 Hiroko Hachinohe 1 484 Nick Wyatt 4 546 Andrew Duigan 3 361 Sarah Bailey 1 423 Sam Cockle 2 485 Anthony Kaczmarczyk 1 547 John Martens-Shaw 1 362 Stuart Pharaoh 1 424 Kate Milner 2 486 Gerard Hurst 1 548 Jaime Bowler 4 363 Andrew Litster 7 425 Kirsty Bradbeer 2 487 Bradley Angove 1 549 Todd Pearson OAM 1 364 Norm Jarvis 1 426 James Karlson 1 488 Wayne Smit 1 550 Tom Loh 1 365 Stewart Wild 1 427 Steve Robinson 3 489 Howard Roby 1 551 Craig Martin 1 366 Greg Watkinson 1 428 Robert Binedell 1 490 Graeme Baillie 1 552 David Alston 1 367 Kirsty Spalding 1 429 Kate Lovett 1 491 Kyle Holtzman 1 553 Warren Wild 1 368 Priya Cooper 1 430 Scott Yaxley 2 492 Charmian Frend 1 554 Chad Edwards-Smith 5 369 Kai Dettbarn 1 431 Tony Zuvela 1 493 Brad Hancock 1 555 Clint McGhie 1 370 Mattias Nordstrom 6 432 Chad Schneider 1 494 Geoff Bird 1 556 Alise Selsmark 1 371 Peter Bardoel 3 433 Bruce Dewar 7 495 Andrew Longwill 1 557 Mark Grooby 1 372 Peter Steffanoni 1 434 Chris Appel 1 496 Tim Burton 3 558 Rose Mark 1 373 Timothy Buytels 1 435 Keaton McGrath 1 497 Steve Rowe 1 559 Mark Powell 1 374 Yasuo Naito 1 436 Niamh Fitzgibbon 1 498 Eloise Dortch 1 560 Bastiaan De Boer 3 375 Adrian Hirsch 1 437 Tom Ballantyne 1 499 Bevan Warner 1 561 Steven Klugman 1 376 Kieran Fitzgerald 1 438 Leon Musca 5 500 Louise Millard 1 562 Jude Allan 3 377 Yvonne Mooyman (Merrill) 2 439 Masafumi Hoshi 5 501 Stephen Redbond 1 563 Peter Bolton 1 378 Nicola McDonald 1 440 Antony Mee 1 502 Stephen Hills 1 564 Dusty Evans 1 379 Marcus Hornby 3 441 Cassie Lindsay 2 503 Megan Wise 1 565 Ric Ainley 1 380 Nina Dyke 1 442 Craig Heggaton 2 504 Stuart Francis 1 566 Tiffany Fraser-Gillard 5 381 Peter O’Connell 1 443 Greg Marshall 1 505 David Wheatley 1 567 Martin Dolinschek 1 382 Jayne Malone 1 444 Beth Bennett 1 506 Peter Peeling 1 568 Robert Boylen 2 383 Steve Norregaard 2 445 Belinda Devenish 1 507 Angela Moore 1 569 Vanessa Trinder 1 384 John Bell 1 446 Brett Thompson 1 508 Peter Martin 1 570 Chris MacQuillan 4 385 Craig Berry 4 447 Clare Payne 1 509 Arron Robertson 4 571 Kelly Timms 1 386 Victor Mews 1 448 Neil Davis-Raiss 1 510 Glenn Stephens 1 572 Ross Galbrath 1
Register of Solo Swims 1956–2014 121 No. Name No. of 631 Yoko Tsuya 1 692 David Heldsinger 6 753 John Rear 1 Crossings 632 Mark Muhlmann 1 693 Neville Knuckey 1 754 John Baranoff 1 633 Graham Lake 1 694 John Drinkwater 1 755 Sandra Tanz 1 573 Juanita Spencer 1 634 Deke Zimmerman 1 695 Brian Cook 8 756 Jeremy Mulcahy 3 574 Michael McLellan 1 635 Andrew Moullin 1 696 Gary Toogood 1 757 Jan Doedens 1 575 Chris Roberts 2 636 Steve Cunningham 1 697 Margaret Ernst 1 758 Judy Young 2 576 Graeme Armstrong 1 637 Mark Bush 1 698 Michael Rueger 1 759 Craig Doyle 1 577 Michael Abdo 3 638 Toby Cocks 2 699 Ray Steffanoni 2 760 Kyle Smith 1 578 Emma Russell 1 639 Travis Kell 2 700 Nick Newton 1 761 Reginald Boston 2 579 Todd Morcombe 2 640 Rory Pilgrim 3 701 Sandra Teagle 1 762 Peter Jensen 1 580 Mark Dawson 1 641 Nancy Douglas 1 702 Brian Perriam 1 763 Heather Whitehead 1 581 Viki Shelver 1 642 Vikki Rhodes 1 703 Emmy Poulsen 2 764 Michael Cave 1 582 Patrick Verryn 3 643 Rachel Harris 1 704 Tony Parbery 7 765 Robert Buckle 1 583 Julian Smith 1 644 Karen Moffett 1 705 Terry O’Brien 1 766 Damian Cox 1 584 Elena Nesci 1 645 Nick Unmack 2 706 Steve Evans 1 767 Kingsley Bugarin OAM 6 585 Andrew Hagen 1 646 Les Plane 1 707 Pierre Chambel 1 768 Lyndal Tudehope 2 586 Ryan Dhue 3 647 Nicola Holmes 1 708 Justin McLarty 1 769 Alex Gregg 5 587 Mark Gow 1 648 Haydn Jackson 1 709 Lisa Delaurentis 9 770 Peter Tresise 1 588 Michael Shortill 1 649 Benjamin Bray 1 710 Susan Niven 2 771 Russell Lynton-Brown 2 589 Ethan Norris 2 650 Robert Engelhard 1 711 Alexandra Farrington 1 772 Warren Andrews 2 590 Rob Welborn 2 651 Jeremy Pethick 1 712 Kim Tyler 1 773 Jenni Lynne Tibbits 1 591 Stephen Pitcher 1 652 Wesley Upfold 1 713 Nathalie Bond 2 774 Ben Croudace 1 592 Aiden Hooper 1 653 Edwina Coghlan 1 714 Lynette Hewitt 3 775 Zy Phillips 1 593 Robert Crawford 1 654 Ben McGuire 1 715 John Edwards 6 776 Rob Herkes 5 594 Bevan Goodreid 3 655 Jonathan Hayward 1 716 Steve Wilson 6 777 Bart Boys 1 595 Paul Blackburne 1 656 Heidi Butterworth 2 717 Trevor Beer 1 778 Rowland Murray 1 596 Stephen Hicks 1 657 Perry Short 1 718 Sean Murray 1 779 Ross White 1 597 Vanessah Brown 1 658 Melissa Cave 1 719 Neil Sutherland 1 780 Cameron Lockley 1 598 Rory Toner 6 659 Trueman Faulkner 1 720 Brad Noble 6 781 Leslie Thomas 1 599 Brendan Arundell 1 660 Ben McCleery 1 721 Tony Fairweather 1 782 Lucas Meaney 1 600 Kieran Bell 1 661 Martin Palfrey 4 722 Dan Collins 1 783 Glenn Evans 1 601 John White 1 662 John Davison 1 723 Bruce Hegge 1 784 Sarah Gallagher 1 602 Darren Woolcott 1 663 Mark Morelli 3 724 Kevin Kelly 1 785 David Barham 4 603 Leigh Sprlyan 1 664 Julie Isbill 6 725 Michael Christie 5 786 Hedley Skehan 1 604 Kent Nelson 2 665 Tony Sedgman 1 726 Alan Penny 1 787 Malcom Fraser 1 605 Sada Rhelan 1 666 Chika Nishibori 1 727 George Walker 1 788 Karen Heagney 1 606 Renee Dallimore 1 667 Liz Grant 1 728 Dave Reynolds 1 789 Bradley Campbell 1 607 Julian Mills 4 668 Karen Gale 1 729 Andrew Mitchell 3 790 Sean Whitehill 1 608 Sarah Forbes 1 669 Yasutoshi Odagiri 1 730 Wendy Smith 1 791 Trent Jones 1 609 Tom Cockle 1 670 Darrin Strange 1 731 Ram Barkai 1 792 Jason Snell 1 610 Hamish Osborne 2 671 Maurice Dalla-Nogare 1 732 Ryan Stamrood 1 793 Jaymn Cary 2 611 Natalie Kirby 1 672 David McManus 2 733 Anthony Sellmeyer 1 794 Julie Kerr 1 612 Maree Hoban 1 673 Anthony Ryan 1 734 Melanie Gow 1 795 Jill Woodworth 1 613 Ian Hardisty 1 674 Gail Parsons 2 735 Gary Austin 1 796 Simon High 2 614 Shayne Silcox 1 675 Jay Stephenson 1 736 Allison Hass 5 797 Michael Brain 1 615 Carlo Franchina 1 676 Mick Scott 1 737 Nancy Clarke 1 798 Johnathan Papalia 1 616 Dan Kennedy 3 677 Michael Kane 6 738 Marcus Lewenhoff-Jones 3 799 Andrea Cicholas 1 617 Naomi Edmunds 1 678 Ritchie Kirk 1 739 David Cox 2 800 Brett McCarthy 1 618 James Back 2 679 Helen Walley 1 740 Mark Scanlon 5 801 Derek Sexton 3 619 Damian Mahon 1 680 Chelsea Robertson 1 741 Anna Forgione 3 802 Felicity Smith 1 620 Tim Rumac 1 681 Paul Hawkins 1 742 Ryan Bowater 1 803 Mark Henry 1 621 Jason Boyce 1 682 Wayne Morris 9 743 Craig Pasch 4 804 Stuart Warman 1 622 Jade Marklew 1 683 Patrick Hollingworth 5 744 Nicholas Cuthbert 1 805 Ross Lambert 1 623 Des Mitchell 1 684 Peter Giddy 1 745 Geoff Wilson 10 806 Kevin Cassidy 2 624 Faye Rogers 1 685 Marie-Therese Hunter 1 746 Reyn Bennell 1 807 Henry Hickling 1 625 Keith Hickey 1 686 Brent Bonadeo 1 747 Mark Stewart 1 808 Ryan James 2 626 Scott McInnes 1 687 Tanya Thaw 1 748 Michael Magazanik 3 809 Byron Winburn-Clarke 1 627 Selwyn Jellie 6 688 Peter Garrity 1 749 Brittany Russell 2 810 Amanda Smith 1 628 Tanya Petherbridge 1 689 Brett McIntyre 1 750 Ian Harrison 1 811 Andrea Butler 1 629 Melinda Toogood 1 690 Suzzanne Laidlaw 1 751 Kerry White 3 812 Don Crellin 2 630 George Adams 1 691 Michael Schrick 1 752 Jason Roberts 1 813 Peter Neesham 1
122 Champions & Everyday Heroes 814 David Oliver 2 875 Emma Bennett 1 936 Luke Bongiascia 1 997 David Lowry 1 815 Simon Morgan 1 876 Amanda Lee 1 937 Lucy Johnston 1 998 Jane Tranberg 1 816 Richard Leetham 1 877 Paul Neesham 1 938 Chris Pass 2 999 David Fairclough 2 817 Fraser McGuffin 1 878 Chantel Kent 1 939 Chloe Itzein 1 1000 David Waldock 1 818 Janet Stephenson 1 879 Anthony Dermer 1 940 Paul Vivers 1 1001 William McKenzie 1 819 Shane Kelly 1 880 Shane Ashworth 1 941 Kieron Palframan 1 1002 Nicola Davidson 1 820 Damon McDonald 1 881 Claire Martin 1 942 Rhys Bradley 1 1003 Kate Mason 1 821 Richard Atkins 1 882 Mitchell Gerritzen 2 943 Sam McLennan 1 1004 Cavan Rotham 1 822 Orin McCluskey 1 883 Shannon Carter 1 944 Travis Chromiak 1 1005 Richard Hayes 1 823 Lynette Bradley 1 884 Narelle Davey 1 945 Charlotte O’Beirne 2 1006 Dave Cooley 1 824 David Brown 1 885 Rosemary White 1 946 Rowan Webb 3 1007 Paul Gill 1 825 Samantha Shields 1 886 James Anderson 1 947 Tanya Green 1 1008 Jason Gilligan 1 826 Kendall Hammond 1 887 Stefan Watson 1 948 Jeremy Brooke-Smith 4 1009 Benjamin North 1 827 Paula Miller 1 888 Jeremy McGrade 1 949 Toby Jones 1 1010 Andrew Stocks 1 828 Cherie Ebsworth 1 889 David Kent 2 950 Adam Pond 1 1011 Greg Hancock 3 829 Bruce Hale 1 890 Jo-Anne Danne 1 951 Marcel Weijers 2 1012 El Prendergast 2 830 Toshio Mochizuki 1 891 Nathan Linney 1 952 Sofie Frichot 1 1013 Katie Masters 1 831 Carroll Selwood 1 892 Alan Power 1 953 Scott Miers 2 1014 Adam Wellisch 1 832 Grant Pitman 1 893 Stuart Baron-Hay 5 954 Stewart Collingwood 1 1015 Troy Lathwell 5 833 Rebecca Ashby 1 894 Tom Shipsides 1 955 John Meagher 1 1016 Will Keall 1 834 Ben Higgins 1 895 Gary Archer 1 956 Karl Paganin 1 1017 Hannah McKerchar 2 835 James Goins 1 896 Michael Ketchen 1 957 Rod Manson 2 1018 Aaron Turner 1 836 Michael Kennedy 2 897 Justin Mann 1 958 Anna Torok 1 1019 Nigel Brand 3 837 Kathryn Phillips 2 898 Jim Leighton 1 959 Rob Lim 1 1020 Lester Mulder 2 838 Trevor Dennis 1 899 Janine Moldowan 1 960 Matt Oakley 1 1021 David Shaw 1 839 Mark Ward 1 900 Peter Becker 1 961 Peter Broun 1 1022 Mark Miolin 1 840 Deane Pieters 2 901 Paul Crawford 1 962 Andrew Keegan 2 1023 Barry Ashwin 1 841 Mat Tippett 1 902 Barry De Jong 1 963 Rodney Mullineux 1 1024 Ben Lucas 2 842 Grant Trew 3 903 John Garland 1 964 Philip Tyrell 2 1025 Pam Gunn 1 843 Kylee Muldoon 1 904 Ryan Seton 1 965 Yvonne Mutton 1 1026 Lauren Goodreid 1 844 Paul Newsome 3 905 Jon Turner 4 966 Mark Sleight 1 1027 Nerida Schmidt 1 845 Kirsty Bowlay 1 906 Richard Milloy 1 967 Suzanne Narbey 3 1028 Angus MacFadyen 1 846 Michael Renford 1 907 Arie Dielesen 1 968 Jennifer Mickle 1 1029 Mark Quigg 1 847 Ceinwen Williams 8 908 Gary Emich 1 969 Deane Barker 2 1030 Craig Quigg 1 848 Stephen Kernutt 1 909 Sharon Mascall-Dare 1 970 Helen White 2 1031 Steven Wright 1 849 Chris Winby 1 910 Matt Greenwood 1 971 Julien Flack 1 1032 Vaughn Bisschops 2 850 Brad Krokosz 1 911 Vynka Malone 1 972 Blair De Morton 1 1033 David Robinson 1 851 Linda Spencer 1 912 Scott Richardson 1 973 Lucas Tucker 1 1034 Motti Lewis 1 852 Brett Jackson 1 913 Nadine Szokolai 1 974 Darren Jones 1 1035 Lucy Stuart 1 853 Mark Lewis 3 914 Ian Donaldson 1 975 Steve Wearn 1 1036 Nazli Qwynn 1 854 Sean Carter 1 915 Jennifer Hurley 5 976 Jamie Veitch 1 1037 Tonya Vander Loop 1 855 Warwick Maxted 1 916 Tania De Abreu 1 977 Oliver Mills 2 1038 Ralph McManis 1 856 Rowena Kendall 2 917 Vance Bryan 3 978 Jasper Thornycroft 1 1039 Brett Templeton 1 857 Cameron Spittle 2 918 Paul Downie 3 979 Kevin Johnston 1 1040 Ali Noble 1 858 Daniel Boardman 1 919 Timothy Donovan 1 980 Makoto Asami 1 1041 Geraldin Pedersen 1 859 Claire Ware 1 920 Sylvain Guillaume 1 981 Ben Naismith 1 1042 Paul Blackbeard 2 860 Emily Chetwin 1 921 Dean McCarthy 1 982 Milko Van Gool 2 1043 Stephane Dellac 1 861 Sophie Johnston 1 922 John Conroy 1 983 Jim McGuire 1 1044 James MacTaggart 1 862 Craig Dewar 2 923 Daniel Blakemore 1 984 Justine Murphy 1 1045 Brendan McNally 2 863 Laurent Velay 1 924 Sally Painter 1 985 Tony Sellmeyer 1 1046 Troy Marinich 1 864 Lupco Talevski 2 925 Phil Lansell 1 986 Trevor Van Aurich 2 1047 Adam Mullens 1 865 Steve Cuzens 1 926 Bradley Wibrow 1 987 Roger Finch 2 1048 Ash Saunders 1 866 Alana Cooper 2 927 Loreta Murphy 2 988 Joseph Reid 1 1049 Shelley Clark 1 867 Andrew Gosling 5 928 Christine Roberts 1 989 Duncan Adams 1 1050 Justin Wallace 1 868 James Mansfield 2 929 Angus Netting 1 990 Lane Hams 1 1051 Stuart Moran 3 869 Antony Leaversuch 1 930 Paul Lindquist 1 991 Simon Whitfield 1 1052 Dori Miller 1 870 Andrew Hunt 11 931 Craig Rodin 1 992 Robert Wallwork 1 1053 Mark Kay 1 871 Adam Tyler 1 932 Oliver Wilkinson 2 993 Myles Wilson 1 1054 Rachel Duczynski 4 872 Kyle Hodson 1 933 Louise Stevenson 2 994 Jan McGowan 1 1055 Graham Croft 1 873 Trent Mellier 1 934 Caris Dempster 1 995 Mike Hodge 1 1056 Bruce Kershaw 1 874 Chris Bacchus 1 935 Cameron Sudintas 1 996 Craig Saunders 1 1057 Shaun Jessop 2
Register of Solo Swims 1956–2014 123 No. Name No. of 1116 Raymond Ward 1 1177 Scott Edwards 1 1238 Titus Galsworthy 1 Crossings 1117 Chris Swallow 1 1178 Alex Harwood 1 1239 Dean Upton 1 1118 Chris Balde 1 1179 Mike Wren 1 1240 Phil Wild 1 1058 Marcus Donato 2 1119 David Reeve 1 1180 Trent Eggeling 1 1241 Cindy McKellar 1 1059 Julie Hardt 1 1120 Andrew Vidler 2 1181 Glenn Morrison 1 1242 Chris Anderson 2 1060 Rebecca Smith 6 1121 David Bremer 1 1182 Elise Welch 1 1243 Lorraine Driscoll 1 1061 Nicole Hodgson 1 1122 Peter Thompson 2 1183 Justin Horgan 1 1244 Leanne Markey 2 1062 Simon Bedbrook 1 1123 Michael McLeod 1 1184 Ronan Mcglue 1 1245 Ben Hutt 1 1063 Kevin Roberts 1 1124 Craig Phillis 1 1185 Tamera Lang 1 1246 Stephen Ranford 1 1064 Victoria Gorman 3 1125 Alison Braid 1 1186 Steve Taylor 1 1247 Peter Gibbons 1 1065 Lawrence Felgate 1 1126 Lloyd Clarke 1 1187 Vicki Coverley 1 1248 Linda Ashmore 1 1066 Mark Pressley 1 1127 Gary Bradley 1 1188 Alistair Newmarch 1 1249 Kim Annear 2 1067 Stuart Johnson 1 1128 Quintin Hughes 1 1189 Owen Kiely 1 1250 Laurie Levy 2 1068 Rory Thomson 1 1129 Dan Barber 1 1190 Damon Brown 2 1251 Steve Payne 3 1069 Carl Barrett 2 1130 Penelope Northcott 1 1191 Duncan Jacob 1 1252 Paul Garwood 2 1070 Dene Steinberg 1 1131 Katrina Sykes 2 1192 Fletcher Barr 3 1253 Narciso Astone 1 1071 Andrew Lane 1 1132 Geoff Evans 1 1193 John Bryan 1 1254 Stuart Gicquel 1 1072 Damon Kendrick 1 1133 Joanne Shaw 1 1194 Kirsty Sterle 3 1255 Brendan Maher 1 1073 Brett Edelman 1 1134 Sacha Fulton 1 1195 Michael Japp 1 1256 Akinobu Hirayama 1 1074 Dougal Hunt 1 1135 Jarrad Lawford 1 1196 Jeremy Nyman 1 1257 Ben Searcy 1 1075 Finnian Mark 1 1136 Jackson Carmine 1 1197 Howard Carter 1 1258 Meirion Powell 1 1076 Lawrence Stubbs 2 1137 David Locke 1 1198 Dennis O’Regan 1 1259 Samuel Medway 1 1077 Luke Romandi 1 1138 Stuart Louth 1 1199 Gabrielle Goddard 1 1260 Susanjane Morison 1 1078 Bryn Bisschops 1 1139 Lochie Hinds 1 1200 David Fraser 1 1261 Sharni Wilkes 1 1079 James Julian 1 1140 Nathan Henderson 1 1201 Guy Watson 2 1262 Tony Higgs 1 1080 Jasmin Dillon 2 1141 Stuart Braine 2 1202 Andrew Winning 1 1263 Cadell Buss 1 1081 Matthew Clark-Massera 1 1142 Chloe Mccardel 1 1203 Andrew Tebbutt 2 1264 Simon Hill 1 1082 Guy Moar 1 1143 Mike Brown 1 1204 Robert Vollprecht 2 1265 Daniel Taborsky 1 1083 Phillipa Simpkins 1 1144 Ross Davis 1 1205 Kat Malarska 1 1266 Adrian Lynch 1 1084 Alan Prodger 1 1145 Andrew Roberts 3 1206 Marty Filipowski 2 1267 Jim McNeilly 1 1085 Karl Heiden 1 1146 Jeremy Doney 1 1207 John Matthews 3 1268 Amol Adhav 1 1086 Wayne Dohmen 1 1147 Justin Hanby 3 1208 Matt Wright 1 1269 Iain Melhuish 1 1087 Fleur Creeper 1 1148 Andrea Murphy 2 1209 Jeff Booth 2 1270 Michael Swaddle 1 1088 Jon Jessop 1 1149 Aaron Maxwell 2 1210 Jess Bunford 1 1271 Greg Shein 1 1089 Phil Gleeson 1 1150 Matt Affleck 1 1211 David Oakley 1 1272 Elizabeth Bellis 2 1090 Robbie Thomas 1 1151 Ned Denison 1 1212 Lester Gollan 2 1273 Ben Mackinnon 2 1091 Rob van Selm 1 1152 Rob McManus 2 1213 Tony Maley 2 1274 Stephen Hughes 1 1092 Sharon Shepherd 1 1153 Warren Milward 1 1214 Harald Gatenby 1 1275 Zoe Whitfield 2 1093 Perry Molendijk 2 1154 Erica Price 1 1215 Robert Buetler 2 1276 Tara Diversi 1 1094 Victoria Cox 1 1155 Kara Wright 1 1216 Ross Home 1 1277 Brad Headling 1 1095 Ross Haywood 1 1156 Naomi Watters 3 1217 Sefton Upton 1 1278 Duncan McLean 1 1096 John Raczkowski 1 1157 Tim Quinlan 1 1218 Louise O’Halloran 1 1279 Malcolm Fisher 1 1097 Paul Wallwork 1 1158 Kirsty Thomson 1 1219 Paul Hoffman 2 1280 Ian Gordon 3 1098 David Trotter 2 1159 David Maggs 1 1220 Joe Bennett 2 1281 Mathew Lyons 2 1099 Claire Badenhorst 1 1160 Chris Reeve 2 1221 David Scott 1 1282 Talbot Henry 1 1100 Mark Paramor 1 1161 Mark Williamson 1 1222 Thomas Casavant 1 1283 Georgina Kovacs 1 1101 Holly Child 2 1162 Melinda Brown 1 1223 Alison Thompson 1 1284 Colleen Mallon 1 1102 David Hardie 1 1163 Gary Roberts 1 1224 Kieta Philp 1 1285 Anthony Rooke 1 1103 Natasha Fraser 2 1164 Jessica Palmer 1 1225 John Scott 1 1286 Bob Tarr 1 1104 Mark Machin 1 1165 Damien Scales 2 1226 Joanne Horrex 1 1287 Jodie Harwood 1 1105 Steve Pashby 1 1166 Chris Palandri 1 1227 Timothy Lefroy 1 1288 Adam Cook 1 1106 Michael Lyddiard 1 1167 Jessica Barclay 1 1228 Rose Levien 1 1289 Simon Olliver 1 1107 Charles Biddle 1 1168 Jon Mcardell 1 1229 Joshua Aylett 1 1290 Phil Corrick 1 1108 Elliott Rowton 1 1169 Kaine James 1 1230 Grant Lewis 2 1291 Brenton Jenke 1 1109 Kieran McRoberts 1 1170 Garth Civil 2 1231 Bill Moody 1 1292 Anne Pleash 2 1110 Tim Stokes 1 1171 Jonathan Brown 1 1232 Aaron Williams 1 1293 Sean Moran 1 1111 Samara Rogers 2 1172 Steve Nicholson 1 1233 Chandler Comerford 2 1294 Nathan Lude 1 1112 Pat Coleman 1 1173 Aaron Smith 2 1234 Bobby Murdoch 1 1295 Mike Gregory 2 1113 Justin Tidbury 1 1174 Chris Blane 1 1235 Brendon Smyth 1 1296 Denita Slatter 1 1114 Richard Hart 1 1175 Wayne Arthur 1 1236 Brad Mitchell 1 1297 Stuart Dacomb 1 1115 Pierra Rogers 1 1176 John Neesham 1 1237 Penny Oxby 1 1298 Paul Luscombe 1
124 Champions & Everyday Heroes 1299 Brad Ravenscroft 1 1360 Simon Staines 1 1440 Sari Galsworthy 1 1485 Peter Thomas 1 1300 Dion Hatton 1 1361 Rob Taylor 1 1443 Angela Spence 1 1488 Erica Aviet 1 1301 Jaye Reynolds 1 1362 Kym Low 1 1444 Rex Rowles 1 1489 Paul Isaachsen 1 1302 David Pollack 1 1363 Elaine Broome 1 1445 Patrick Beck 1 1494 Scott Henderson 1 1303 Gary Brickley 1 1364 Geoffrey Ivanac 2 1446 Neil Fletcher 1 1498 David Craig 1 1304 Christian Halliley 1 1365 Matthew Rowan 1 1449 Matthew George 1 1502 Linda Coventry 1 1305 Emma Brunning 1 1366 Luke Dillon 1 1450 Mitch Badge 1 1506 Liz Bettridge 1 1306 Gary Steenkamp 1 1367 Spencer Keen 1 1451 Warren Salamone 1 1508 Julie-Anne Elkins 1 1307 Ian McLeod 1 1368 Gregory Lecrevisse 1 1452 Robert Dillon 1 1510 Anthony Bovell 1 1308 Jeremy Povey 1 1369 Lisa Hussey 1 1453 Erica Thomas 1 1512 Paul Miller 1 1309 David Frizzell 1 1370 David Robins 1 1454 Steve Anstee 1 1513 Tim Simpson 1 1310 Jason Houghton 1 1371 Tyson Lee 1 1456 Jane Chambers 1 1514 Marie-Elise Bullock 1 1311 Julia Mansfield 2 1372 Rob Franklyn 1 1458 Pip Gillman 1 1515 Sarah Althorpe 1 1312 Michael Hanisch 2 1373 Mark Robson 1 1460 Adam Culley 1 1516 Tim Currie 1 1313 Tracey Shaw 1 1375 Jeannette Rein 2 1461 Rebekah Shand 1 1517 Joseph Graville 1 1314 Bryan Williams 1 1376 Amy Hyatt 1 1462 Phil Russell 1 1518 Peta Batorfi 1 1315 Tracy Carroll 1 1377 Graham Nash 1 1463 Jamie Cobill 1 1519 Tyron Scott 1 1316 Jane Solomon 1 1378 Simon Davison 1 1464 Erica Horn 1 1520 Kathryn Batchelor 1 1317 Paul Riethmuller 1 1379 Ashley Chaplyn 1 1465 Michael Charlesworth 1 1521 Jackie Gardiner 1 1318 Amy Hooper 1 1380 Peter Rash 1 1466 Kirk Langley 1 1522 Annette Regan 1 1319 Stephen Donohue 1 1381 Marlene Anderson 1 1467 Winn Kennington 1 1523 Kaylene Bozich 1 1320 Samantha Poulsen 1 1382 Martine Hinds 1 1468 Deke Markwell 1 1524 Andrew Stevens 1 1321 Rosemary O’Halloran 1 1383 David Conners 1 1469 Katy Welch 1 1526 Sara Ballard 1 1322 Jack Grabowski 1 1384 Nick Jones 1 1470 Myles Kennington 1 1527 Clairly Lance 1 1323 Andrew Dunsdon 1 1385 Sean Webb 1 1471 Thomas Nicholls 1 1528 Suzie Tonich 1 1324 Cae Tolman 2 1386 Peter Blackley 1 1472 Gavin Crisp 1 1529 Tim Silbert 1 1325 Shannon Welk 1 1387 Nicole Quigg 1 1473 Sally Scaffidi 1 1530 Ruth Turnbull 1 1326 Darren Tootell 1 1388 Colm Stanley 1 1474 Peter Traeger 1 1531 Chris Barker 1 1327 Chris Reed 1 1389 Christine Hall 1 1475 Trent Harding 1 1532 Angelica de Vries 1 1328 Malcolm Sligo 1 1390 Michael Heldsinger 1 1477 Megan Surrette 1 1533 Robert Rose 1 1329 John Cordin 2 1391 Paul Laver 1 1478 Samuel Dell 1 1537 Clive Cass 1 1330 Peter Dolnik 1 1394 Tom Webber 1 1479 David Noort 1 1538 Darren Cooper 1 1331 Marc Radatt 1 1397 Nicholas deBomford 1 1481 Hamish Mcintosh 1 1539 Bruce Anderson 1 1332 Michael Leith 1 1399 Jason Papps 1 1482 Rochelle Haynes 1 1540 Di Twigg 1 1333 Chantel Delaney 1 1400 Troy Santen 1 1483 Sharon Kilvington 1 1541 Kyle Main 1 1334 Michael Teys 2 1401 Stuart Reside 1 1484 Dean O’Brien 1 1335 Salvatore Cimmino 1 1403 Kate Scanlon 1 1336 Natalie Mews 1 1404 Guy Davis 1 1337 Mark Coulton 1 1405 Thomas Hill 1 1338 Christie Leet 1 1407 Daniel Loughnan 1 1339 Jarrod Hawkes 1 1408 Tim Kuruckchi 1 1340 Owen Price 1 1409 Megan Gallagher 1 1341 Darren Bond 1 1410 Michael McPhee 1 1342 Adrienne Holt 1 1413 Nicola Hamilton 1 1343 Harry Commins 1 1414 Scott Green 1 1344 Tatum Adnams 1 1418 Kaidee Arnold 1 1345 Olimpia Cullity 1 1419 Ryan Brown 1 1346 Marcus McDonald 1 1420 Heather Snowdon 1 1347 Sarah Evans 1 1421 Michael Prendiville 1 1348 David Morgan 2 1422 Vicki Baroni 1 1349 Glen Atkins 2 1423 Adam Zeller 1 1350 Brenda Evans 1 1424 Clancy Neesham 1 1351 Rachael Elkaim 2 1426 Sam Cordin 1 1352 Tim Gibbons 1 1428 Latif Ahmad 1 1353 Amanda Nitschke 1 1430 Dom Foster 1 1354 Simon Rusiti 1 1431 Nicole Hampton 1 1355 Brett Pearson 1 1432 Eric Devlin 1 1356 Heather Bolton 1 1433 Matt Arcy 1 1357 Claire Morrison 1 1436 Glenn Sutton 1 1358 Joshua Randall 1 1438 Patrick Henning 1 1359 Robert Nash 1 1439 Brad Hitchcock 1
Register of Solo Swims 1956–2014 125 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Champion Mindset, WA Women’s Hall of Fame,
126 Champions & Everyday Heroes ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & PHOTO CREDITS
This book would not have been possible without the tremendous Post Newspapers, for providing recent photographs; Peta North assistance of the organisers and participants who have taken part Photography for her incredible aerial photographs of the Swim; in this amazing event over the years. The Rottnest Channel Swim and Aussies in Action Sports Photography for their numerous and Association thanks the members of the Rotto Swim community amazing photographs of swimmers and the race, in general. Thank who gave up their time to be interviewed and share insights into you to the swimmers who provided personal photographs of the long distance swimming. Thank you to Committee Members, past Rottnest Channel Swim. and present, who provided different perspectives on the history Also, our thanks to Lesley Meaney for her comprehensive of the swim and background information on the organisation research into the history of long distance swimming in Western of the race. Special acknowledgement goes to Fremantle Port Australia as published in her book Why swim to Rottnest when Authority staff members, especially Dean Davidson, who took you can catch the ferry?, and to Peter Tanham for his insights into time to explain their role and provide photos; and thank you to the swimming to Rottnest published in his book My Thoughts on support crews, coaches and volunteers, including Premier Colin Swimming the Rottnest Channel. Barnett, who described their roles and the progression of race day. Finally, thank you to Deborah Weetman who researched, Thank you to Brett McCarthy, editor of the West Australian, wrote and project managed this book. who made the newspaper’s entire collection of Rottnest Channel Swim photographs available. Thanks also to David Cohen, of
PHOTO CREDITS
All photographs are copyright and have been reproduced with permission. Dean Davidson (private collection), pages 80(top), 81 (bottom), 97, 102 (bottom), 106 (bottom). Peta North of Aerial Photography WA, pages 6, 28 (top), 100, 108, 110, 112 (top). David Fairclough (private collection), page 74 (top). Post newspapers (photographs by Paul McGovern), pages 34, 68 (top). Fremantle Port Authority (private collection), page 42. Rottnest Channel Swim Association, pages 14, 18, 28 (bottom), 29 (top), 31 (bottom), 32 (bottom), 38 (top). Damon Kendrick (private collection), pages 75 (top), 76.
West Australian newspaper, pages 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 (top), 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, Lesley Meaney (private collection), pages 15, 17. 29 (bottom), 30, 36, 39 (right), 41, 45 (top), 48 (top), 50 (bottom), 56, 58 (bottom), 61, 62 (top), 65, 67, 74 (bottom), 78, 84, 86, 87, 88 (bottom), 89 (bottom), 90 (top Ceinwen Roberts (private collection), pages 62 (bottom), 64, 66. right), 94 (bottom), 102 (top), 103 (bottom), 113 (bottom left), 115, 119 (bottom centre left and bottom right), front and back cover. John Whitehead (private collection), pages 18 (left), 77, 107 (right).
Whadjuk Boodjar Map, Curtin University, City of Cockburn, Coast West and All photographs not credited above are from Aussies in Action Sports Coastal Collaboration Cluster, page 11 Photography and the Rottnest Channel Swim Association’s collection.
Acknowledgements 127 Published in 2014 by Rottnest Channel Swim Association PO Box 2004 Claremont 6010 Western Australia www.rottnestchannelswim.com.au
Publishing consultant Fremantle Press 25 Quarry Street, Fremantle 6160 Western Australia www.fremantlepress.com.au
Copyright © Rottnest Channel Swim Association Inc.
The moral rights of the creators have been asserted.
This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.
Edited by Linda Martin Designed by Karen Hinds at Kin Creative
Printed in China through Red Planet Print Management
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Weetman, Deborah, author.
Champions and everyday heroes : the 25th anniversary of the Rottnest Channel Swim / Deborah Weetman.
9780646927725 (hardback)
Rottnest Channel Swim--Anniversaries, etc. Long distance swimming--Western Australia--Rottnest Island. Long distance swimming--Western Australia--History.
797.21099412
128 Champions & Everyday Heroes