NOW in its eighth season the Open Water Series (OWS) continues to grow, with record participation being seen across the series.
Last Sunday saw more than 100 eager swimmers attend round four of the 2015/16 Open Water Swimming Series in the waters of Champion Bay at Geraldton.
The event saw an increase in participation from the inaugural Geraldton swim in 2014.
More than 15 per cent of the 109 registered participants travelled to the region for the event, a marked increase on 2014, with two Peel Aquatic Club swimmers travelling the 975kilometre round trip from Mandurah to take part.
Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn started the 5km event, while Member for Geraldton Ian Blayney MLA kicked off the 500m swim.
For Peel Aquatic Club swimmer Rebekah Weller the decision to undertake the Geraldton Open Water Swim round was validated, after she crossed the line as the fastest female swimmer.
As a result of her win from round four she is now top on the Open Female overall leader board. “I did not travel to Geraldton to win but to learn lessons from the challenge of the swim as part of my personal journey,” she said.
Team mate Grace Walton (15) also competed in the 5km event and was the second female to cross the finishing line. This gave Walton first position in the female 18 and under category. Both girls were pleased with their swims as they had targeted Geraldton because of the timing of the event and to give themselves the opportunity to swim in a competitive and safe environment in the ocean.
The OWS are staging regional open water events in Geraldton, Busselton, Bunbury and Albany, with the final event held in Mandurah at Doddies Beach on Saturday February 20.
