Breathtakingly beautiful autumn conditions greeted swimmers on Sunday 8 March for the 9th Hotondo Homes Broulee Bay to Breakers Ocean Swim.
Above: Swimmers milling around at the start. Conditions were excellent at Broulee Bay
“It was a wonderful morning, sunny, clean water and enthusiastic swimmers,” said Swim Coordinator David Butt “just a terrific community event, and after such a difficult summer, a great way to enjoy the things we love about Broulee.
We switched the course to an out and back one in Broulee North Bay where the seas were calmer than the ocean route from Shark Bay. We had over 340 swimmers and raised $17000 before costs. Profits will be shared equally by the Broulee Surfers Surf Life Saving Club and the Broulee Mossy Point Community Association who provide the volunteers to power the event.”
Happy vibes permeated the sand and the water. Antionette, freshly arrived from a village outside Dublin and doing her first ocean swim, simply smiled her way out of the water and onto the finish line. Clint Picken from Canberra, second in the over thirties, beamed as his step daughter Decoda met him in the shallows with a prosthetic leg to help with the run to the finish line.
Not surprisingly, many swimmers were recidivists. David Butt congratulated the twenty swimmers who achieved “bronze dolphin” status by completing five swims.
Two stars in the over 80s were Wendy Dunn, a winner in her 8th swim, and Alan Cameron who won the over 80s male title for the second year in a row.
The Dunn family from Canberra was well represented. Young Oliver had the cheekiest of grins as he emerged triumphant from his first swim joining sister Charlotte and father Vincent who were swimming their fourth and striving hard for family bragging rights.
There were plenty of other debutantes. Ayesha Lee from Manly was a first timer and prepared carefully by “carbo loading with some champagne last night”.
Like her Manly friend Victoria Ireland, another first timer, her main motivation was a love of swimming. They were both blown away by the beautiful swimming conditions. Victoria also drew motivation from her smugglettes swimsuit, a fundraiser for the pilots killed in the bushfires.
Winners of the open categories were Grace Hoitink and James Thorpe. Full results will be published on the swim website shortly.
David Butt thanked the volunteers who made the swim such a success. He particularly praised the sponsors. “Their contribution to the event and prizes is extraordinary given the financial setbacks they have incurred through drought, bushfires and floods and what they may face in coming months and beyond.”
Sponsors of the event include
Hotondo Homes (the major sponsor),
Broulee Caravan Park - Ingenia Holidays,
Broulee Supermarket and Cellars,
Broulee Surf School/Total Ecoadventures,
Reform Health Spa Broulee,
Offshore in Moruya and Broulee,
Village Centre and Bridge Plaza,
The Lodge Broulee,
Two Sisters on Wheels,
IGA Tomakin,
Sea Change Physiotherapy,
Broulee Pharmacy,
Single Fin Gypsy,
The Mossy,
Killibinbin,
Konekt,
FX Printing,
MrMr Store Braidwood,
Tomakin Sports and Social Club,
RegionX,
One sport.com.au,
Woolworths Moruya
Above: Helen Okey of Rosedale and Molly James of Sutherland fired up for the swim
Above: Lots of smiling at the finish
Above: Antionette, freshly arrived from a village outside Dublin and doing her first ocean swim, simply beamed her way to the finish line
Oliver Dunn of Canberra was pretty pleased to finish his first swim
Alan Cameron won the over 80s men for the second year in a row
Wendy Dunn, swimming for the 8th time, won the over 80s womens
Clint Picken from Canberra, second in the over thirties, was pretty pleased when his step daughter Decoda greeted him in the shallows with his prosthetic leg.
James Thorpe (above and below) won the open mens
Grace Hoitink (above and below) won the open womens
