Bruce Sweeting, Venue Supervisor
I was a late starter to swimming. In my thirties, I started doing a few laps at the local Hornsby pool.
In the winter of 1999, I was socialising with some friends and the suggestion of trying some winter swimming at North Narrabeen Rock Pool came up.
Despite some hesitancy at how freezing the water would be, I went for a swim.
I swam with the North Narrabeen Shivering Sharks and then became a member in 2000.
In my first full year, I won several events and then attended the Winter Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast, which included clubs from all over Australia.
By the end of 2000 my interest in swimming and my achievements had motivated me to do more, so in 2001 I joined Hornsby Masters and later Hornsby RSL Swimming clubs.
With masters a whole new chapter of swimming opened up for me. There were local carnivals in Sydney and regional weekend events, as well as interstate competitions in Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra.
The highlight of my masters swimming was completing one million metres in August 2010; it took eight years to do this.
At Hornsby RSL Swimming Club, we run a big annual event in Queanbeyan, where I have been part of several winning relay teams.
This weekend event raises thousands of dollars for the local Legacy branch. This has always been a fun weekend that benefits the local community as well.
Needless to say, over the years I have accrued a vast array of mugs, towels and trophies and along the way have made a few friends as well.