THE CLUB
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THE CLUB |
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The Orcas club currently has a membership of approximately forty who range in age from about 20 to over 60. A number of the members have been with the Club since it was formed in 1994. There are about equal numbers of men and women and a wide range of standards in swimming. About twenty members train regularly, that is, one or more sessions per week. Training takes place at Aqualink Nunawading, Fraser Place Nunawading. Membership of the club is predominantly drawn from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne from Warrandyte in the north to Mulgrave in the south, Box Hill in the west to Wantirna in the east. The Club has an active social program with both informal and more formal events occurring regularly throughout the year and organised by the Committee. Members actively participate in still water competitions, open water bay (Port Phillip Bay), sea swim meets, and triathlon events. However, the focus of the Club is very much on fun, fitness and friendship. New members are
welcome and further information can be obtained by contacting the
Club Secretary or talking to the Coach on the pool
deck during training times. An application form and
details about fees are available at Training and Fees. Early in August 1994 Aqualink Nunawading called for expressions of interest from people who were interested in forming an Aussi Masters club based at the Centre. The Centre believed that an Aussie Masters club was needed to cater for adults who would like more organised and structured swimming and who were interested in improving their skills and fitness. There was a good response from the public to the idea of the formation of a club and in early September 1994 the inaugural meeting of the Club took place in the Nunawading Junior Swimming Club rooms co-chaired by the Centre's Director and the then Head Coach of Nunawading Swimming Club, Leigh Nugent. The people present decided that there was sufficient interest to establish a Masters Club and that it would be formally affiliated with Aussi Masters Swimming Victoria. As well, it would also be informally associated with the Nunawading Swimming Club which would provide support and assistance, especially by way of coaches. Election of the first committee took place at this meeting. The first training session of the Masters Club took place on Monday 19 September 1994 under the supervision of Club's new coach Brett Gartner, a former Nunawading Club national squad member. The Club grew steadily from these beginnings and after the first year had over 50 members including over a dozen who competed in District, State, National and International level still water competitions as well as in many open water competitions held in the summer season in Victorian waters and further a field. An early high light of the Club was sending a team of seven (Terry Foster, Charmaine Lee, Vicki Smith, Phil Matthews, David Pope, Kim Rea and Peter Rush) to the Pan Pacific Masters Championships in Maui, Hawaii in June 1997. The Club raised funds to also enable the Coach (Brett Gartner) to attend and provide on-the-spot support and advice to the Club competitors. The following year in August three members (Charmaine Lee, Phil Matthews and Kim Rea) went to the International Masters Nike Games in Portland Oregon, USA. In April 2000 Paul Bunker took part in the National Australian Triathlon competition at Foster, NSW. At the Eighth Australian Masters Games held at Newcastle, NSW, in October 2001 the Orcas were represented by the Club President Rod Clarke who competed in both swimming and triathlon events. Again Rod Clarke, along with Robyn Gillespie, participated in the World Masters Swimming Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, in April 2002. They were amongst 2377 competitors representing 791 clubs that competed in the Championships. They also took the opportunity after swimming to travel around the South Island and see some of the world renown sights. In the Victorian State Championships in 2002, one Orca Michael Drake, broke the Australian Masters Long Distance Short Course record for 800m breaststroke as well as the Victorian Short Course record for 100m breaststroke. Twelve Orcas competed in the World Masters Games in Melbourne in October 2002. One Orca, Jared Clarke, gained five individual firsts in his age group including setting three Masters World Records for the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle events. In the August 2003 State Short Course Championships the Orcas' fielded four men and four women. There were some outstanding results, including Margaret Lowe's first place in the 100m backstroke, and Kylie Mitchell's first in the 50m backstroke. Paul Adey also had a successful meet, taking 10 seconds off his 100m freestyle time to record 1m 05s. Other winners in their age group were Michael Drake, 100m and 200m breaststroke as well as 200m freestyle, and Wesley Tankovich 100m and 200m backstroke and 100m and 200m freestyle. Rod Clarke represented the Orcas in the World Triathlon Championships in the Madeira Islands, Portugal, in May 2004, and Gilian Troy competed in the FINA World Masters Games in Riccione, Italy, in June 2004. The 10th Alice Springs Masters Games in October 2004 saw Rod Clarke and Mark Cook competing along with 4,500 other competitors. Club members have continued to compete in various district, state and national level competitions.
The Orcas are located at Aqualink Nunawading, formerly Nunawading Aquatic Sports and Fitness Centre, which is situated at Fraser Place, Forest Hill, Victoria, an eastern suburb of Melbourne. Phone (613) 9878 4576. The Melways reference is 62 F2. Access is via Springvale Road into Husband Road and then into Fraser Place.
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