A collection of the Pinjarra Swimming Club’s brightest young stars will be putting their best foot forward when they compete at the 2019 Country Pennants meet in just over a month’s time.
The young Piranhas are chomping at the bit to dive into the pool for the state’s largest annual swim meet, with a group of 17 set to represent the club at the three-day carnival.
The swimmers and their coaches have been hard at work fundraising for the event and will fly out bound for Karratha in March.
The trip is a fair distance longer than the 2018 installment of the pennants which saw swimmers from all over the state converge at the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre.
Jordan king and Angelyne Jodrell have been earmarked as swimmers to watch for at the competition, while Ryan Dawes and Ethan Homewood have showed promise in the local pool lately.
The group will be led by coaches Trish Dellow, Debbie Revell and Kyle Saunders, with club president Steve Jodrell saying the pennants presented the Piranhas’ youngsters with a great opportunity.
“For a small club like us to be able to send this many swimmers up to the Country Pennants, it’s really encouraging,” he said.
“They’re quite a strong crop of swimmers and it’s a great chance for them to get out of their local competitions and experience a higher level of swimming.
“We’re expecting plenty of them to be posting personal bests and hopefully we come away with our share of medals.”
While training hard for the Country Pennants meet (which kicks off in Karratha on Friday, March 1), the Pinjarra club is also working to recruit new members ahead of the winter season.
Swimmers of all ages are welcome to join so long as their ability sits at a stage seven or above.
Committee member Emma Dawes said the club was eager to expand its ranks.
“We’re always looking for new people to put on the Pinjarra uniform,” she said.
“We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of swimming, especially for kids.
“It helps them stay fit but more importantly it can really progress their confidence, help them build resilience and it gives them another avenue to make new friends.”
The club is also on the lookout for sponsors to assist with upcoming events, as well as general lane hire at their Murray Leisure Centre base.
For more information on training days or to find out how to join the Pinjarra Swimming Club, visit their Facebook page or email admin@pinjarraswimmingclub.com.au
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
