The 2021 Merrylands SwimFest Swim Meet will be held at Merrylands Swimming Centre on Saturday, 20th February, 2021.

Entries are now open, and will close on Saturday, 6th February, 2021. This is our club's carnival so all club members are expected to attend.

For more information visit the Merrylands SwimFest section of our website.

See Also

• Merrylands SwimFest Swim Meet

Looking for a fun, friendly and fast paced activity this summer?

Come and take part in the 2021 Speedo Sprint Series.

The Speedo Sprint Series caters for girls and boys aged between 8-13 years in 50m Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly events and is a great way to have fun and learn new skills in a friendly environment.

Due to it's timing, the meet, along with the Merrylands SwimFest, also provides good practice for School Swimming Carnivals. All club members aged from 8 to 13 are encouraged to enter.

This year's meet will be held on Saturday, 6th February, 2021 at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

If you have not attended a meet before and would like some more information or help on entering, just ask one of the Club Committee Members.

See Also

• Upcoming Swim Meets

Season Program Changes

A reminder that some changes have been made to our season program for the remainder of this season (due to changes to state & area championships and the Speed Sprint meet heats). The amended season program can be found here.

Please ensure you check the amended season program and plan your swims and championship qualification based on the amended program.

Whales Challenge

The second Whales Challenge was contested last Saturday. This was another hotly contested challenge, with only 38 points separating the teams. The Maroon “Turner” team triumphed scoring 1,234 points, with the White “Emery” team scoring 1,196 points. After a tie in the first Whales Challenge, we have the Maroon team leading 2 – 1, with the final Whales Challenge to be held on 20th March, 2021.

Merrylands SwimFest

Stay tuned as the program and online entries for the Merrylands SwimFest (Saturday 20th February, 2021) will be available soon.
To make the meet a success we ask that everyone (parents etc) help on the day, so please keep the date free. Graham will be arranging the helper list for the day.

Member Profile

So did you guess the coach in the Member Profile last week? The editor left the name of the coach off (ooops), so you needed your powers of deduction and knowledge of the coaches to know who it was.

We know it wasn’t Alison (purple is NOT my favourite colour!) and I’m not sure Peter is such a BIG Harry Styles fan 😊). It was of course Katie Hope.

Today we learn some interesting information about one of our faster Whales, Brendan Kirkpatrick:

COVID-19 Safety Plan & Protocols

Please ensure you regularly check the club website for health updates as changes occur. Updates that affect our club members can be found here. 

Remember:

• Do not come to club activities if you are not feeling well;
• Maintain social distancing by spreading out in areas to sit (do not congregate in areas);
• Only timekeepers, officials & swimmers for the event to be swum should be in the marshalling area;
• Practice good hygiene by washing hands & using hand sanitiser regularly.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Spectators entering the centre must check-in and out using the Service NSW app which is located at the pool entry. Please ensure you sign-in and sign-out every time you attend the swimming centre.

Download the Service NSW app here.

Squad Training Changes

Please note there is NO squad training on Monday 25th January or Tuesday 26th January due to the Australia Day break. Normal squad sessions resume on Wednesday 27th January.

Club Championship Results

Congratulations to all swimmers who competed in the 400m Individual Medley Open Championships. The results are available here.

Upcoming Meet Dates

With dates confirmed for upcoming meets please ensure you check the programs and submit your entries by the closing dates. Key meets coming up are:

If you have any questions about swimming in these meets, please discuss these with your coach.

Fun facts about Australia

• Both kangaroos and emus lack the ability to walk backwards. For this reason, the Australian army features the animals on their uniforms
• The only two mammals in the world that lay eggs are found in Australia, the platypus and echidna
• Canberra was selected Australia’s capital for the sole reason of resolving disputes between Sydney and Melbourne which had both wanted to be the country’s administrative centre
• Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano
• Australia is the birthplace of the word selfie. While it was American photography enthusiast Robert Cornelius who took a picture of himself in 1839, the term selfie was first used in 2002 to describe a self-portrait photograph on an Australian internet forum (ABC Online)
• There are ten times more camels than koalas in Australia
• Australia has more than 10,000 beaches overall, meaning that it would take more than 27 years to visit a new one every day
• Inhabiting the continent for more than 50,000 years, the Australian Aboriginals are the world’s oldest culture
• Australia is the most culturally diverse nation on earth and collectively we speak more than 300 languages
• The longest fence in the world is in Australia, and it runs for over 5,530 kilometres
• Australia is home to 10 of the world’s 15 most poisonous snakes as well as a disproportionate number of venomous spiders

Club Uniforms

Items can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

If you have any questions about club uniforms please talk to the Property Officer (Margaret Edwards).

Learn to Swim

The new block of the learn to swim program commences next Saturday (30th January, 2021) and concludes on Saturday 20th March, 2021 (no lessons on Saturday 20th February, 2021). Thankyou to our instructors, helpers & coordinators who make the program a success.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let us know.

There will be no training sessions on Monday, 25th and Tuesday 26th January due to the Australia Day holiday.

Enjoy your long weekend. 🦘

Season Program Changes

Following revised dates for state & area championships and the Speedo Sprint meet, some changes have been made to our season program for the remainder of this season. The amended season program can be found here.

The changes made to the season program have also been updated in the Upcoming Events section of Whales Tales.

Changes have been made to Championship dates, as well as some other program changes for events being held.

The club Championship changes made are:

• 50M Freestyle – moved from 6th February to 13th February;
• 200M Individual Medley (Senior) – moved from 13th February to 6th February;
• 1500M Freestyle – moved from 13th March to 20th March
• Please ensure you plan your swims and championship qualification based on the amended program.

Whales Challenge

Today is the second of the Whales Challenges. The first Whales Challenge saw both teams tie on 1,329 points, so which team will come out on top today, or could we see another tie?

Merrylands SwimFest

The program and online entries for the Merrylands Swimfest (Saturday 20th February, 2021) will be available soon. The Committee has worked hard behind the scenes to ensure we can successfully host the SwimFest this year.

We will be seeking your help for the meet, so please keep the date free. We will not be hosting a Masters Meet prior to the SwimFest this year, so there will be a gap between club races in the morning and the SwimFest commencing at 2.30pm.

Merrylands 50s

Last Saturday saw 25 swimmers line up for the qualifying heats of the Merrylands 50’s. Lane 1 was the gun lane, as all 4 heats were won by the swimmer in that lane.

The semi-finals where held to whittle the field down to 8 swimmers for the final. A hotly contested final saw everyone finish within a 3 second spread.

In a desperately close finish (0.15 seconds between first and third) the results were:

Congratulations to Aisha, you outlasted everyone and thankyou to everyone who participated in the event.

Great to see all our trained & qualified timekeepers looking down the wall for the finish 😊

Club Uniforms

Items can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

If you have any questions about club uniforms please talk to the Property Officer (Margaret Edwards).

COVID-19 Safety Plan & Protocols

Updates that affect our club members can be found online at here. Please ensure you regularly check the club website for these updates as changes occur.

With the situation rapidly changing it is important that you remain aware of NSW Health guidelines and case locations. If you have attended any of the case locations listed on their website you must not attend club activities. Case locations are regularly updated and you should check the list before leaving home to attend a club activity.

Remember:

• Do not come to club activities if you are not feeling well;
• Maintain social distancing by spreading out in areas to sit (do not congregate in areas);
• Only timekeepers, officials & swimmers for the event to be swum should be in the marshalling area;
• Practice good hygiene by washing hands & using hand sanitiser regularly.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Check in processes have been updated and the swimming centre is now using the Service NSW QR code. This means all spectators entering the centre must check-in and out using the Service NSW app. By using this app spectators no longer need to sign-in using the club’s QR code. Please ensure you sign-in and sign-out every time you attend the swimming centre.

Download the Service NSW app here.

Fundraising Chocolates

If you are interested in participating in the fundraising please email the Social Secretary (Emily Ton) (emily.ton@merrylandsasc.asn.au) advising you would like chocolates to sell. Orders will be this month, so please let Emily know if you are interested in placing an order.

Member Profile

Today we learn some interesting information that you may not know about one of our great squad coaches:

If you would like to provide a member profile for inclusion in the Whales Tales please let Graham know.

Upcoming Events

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let us know.

COVID-19 Safety Plan & Protocols

Updates that affect our club members can be found online at here. Please ensure you regularly check the club website for these updates as changes occur.

With the situation rapidly changing it is important that you remain aware of NSW Health guidelines and case locations. If you have attended any of the case locations listed on their website you must not attend club activities. Case locations are regularly updated and you should check the list before leaving home to attend a club activity.

Remember:

• Do not come to club activities if you are not feeling well;
• Maintain social distancing by spreading out in areas to sit (do not congregate in areas);
• Only timekeepers, officials & swimmers for the event to be swum should be in the marshalling area;
• Practice good hygiene by washing hands & using hand sanitiser regularly.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Check in processes have been updated and the swimming centre is now using the Service NSW QR code. This means all spectators entering the centre must check-in and out using the Service NSW app. By using this app spectators no longer need to sign-in using the club’s QR code. Please ensure you sign-in and sign-out every time you attend the swimming centre.

Download the Service NSW app here.

Club Uniforms

Items can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

If you have any questions about club uniforms please talk to the Property Officer (Margaret Edwards).

Fundraising Chocolates

If you are interested in participating in the fundraising please email the Social Secretary (Emily Ton) (emily.ton@merrylandsasc.asn.au) advising you would like chocolates to sell. Orders will be placed in late January, so please let Emily know if you are interested in placing an order.

Member Profile

This will return next week, who will the first profile for 2021 be??

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let us know.

Christmas Wishes

We have quickly arrived at the season halfway point, with Christmas only a week away.
On behalf of the Committee I would like to wish every one of our members and their family’s a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year.
This has been a most challenging year for everyone, one we hope will never be repeated again. Please take the time off to enjoy your time with family and friends and celebrate life.
Enjoy the festive cheer and we look forward to seeing you back at club races on Saturday 2nd January, 2021.

Squad Training Break

Squad training resumes on Saturday, 2nd January, 2021. If you will be away please complete the training break form to indicate your last day of training and your first day back.

Swimming NSW Senior Age Championships

Congratulations to Vanessa Ozols, Alison Sakurovs & Summer Shrestha who represented the club at these championships last week.

Swimming NSW Open Water Championships

Niushka Shrestha (2.5klm), Summer Shrestha (5klm) & Matthew Vicic (5klm) have qualified for and are competing in the Open Water Championships being held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre this weekend.

The 2.5 klm swim is 2 laps of the course, whilst the 5klm swim is 4 laps. Good luck to each of you and may the whale be with you .

COVID-19 Safety Plan & Protocols

If you have visited the Northern Beaches since Friday 11^th December we ask that you follow health guidelines and DO NOT ATTEND CLUB ACTIVITIES until isolation & testing requirements have been completed. For more information visit the NSW Government website.

• Do not come to club activities if you are not feeling well;
  
• Maintain social distancing by spreading out in areas to sit (do not congregate in areas);
  
• Only timekeepers, officials & swimmers for the event to be swum should be in the marshalling area;
• Practice good hygiene by washing hands & using hand sanitizer regularly.
  

Updates that affect our club members can be found online at here. Please ensure you regularly check the club website for these updates as changes occur.

Christmas Hampers & BBQ

The Christmas Hamper raffle will be drawn this morning. Every member will be allocated a raffle number and a lucky draw will occur after club races conclude. There are a total of 4 prize hampers and there is a limit of 1 hamper prize per family.

The BBQ will be held after club races. Please do not proceed to the BBQ area until directed and follow the instructions provided. There will be a limited number of people allowed in the queue (follow the bollards which are spaced so that only person is at a bollard at any time). Once you have your food please leave the area and do not congregate in groups.

Club Championship Results

Congratulations to all swimmers who competed in the 200m Freestyle Championships last week. The results are here. Congratulations to Matthew Vicic who set a new record, swimming 2:28.77, breaking the previous record of 2:31.69 set by Steven Nguyen in 2003.

Member Profile

Congratulation to Breeanah Khoury who was re-elected as our Female Club Captain. Some interesting information about Breeanah:

Fundraising Chocolates

If you are interested in participating in the fundraising please email the Social Secretary (Emily Ton) (emily.ton@merrylandsasc.asn.au) advising you would like chocolates to sell. Orders will be placed in late January, so please let Emily know if you are interested in placing an order.

Upcoming Events

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let us know.

Merrylands will be represented by 3 swimmers at the NSW Senior State Age Championships, which start at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre today.

Our team will contest 7 events at the 6 day meet, which concludes on Thursday.

Our team consists of:

Congratulations to our swimmers on qualifying for the meet and we wish them the best of luck.

You can follow the team's progress over the weekend on the Swimming NSW Live Results or Live Stream.

See Also

• 2020/2021 NSW Senior State Age Championships
• SwimTV (Live Stream)

Congratulations to Matthew Vicic who set a new 200m Freestyle record today.

Matt swam a new record of 2:28.77 in the 13yrs 200m Freestyle Championship, breaking the previous record of another current member, Steven Nguyen. Steven set the record in 2003, with a time of 2:31.69.

Congratulations to Matt on his swim (and commiserations to Steve).

See Also

• Championship Records

Whales Challenge

The first Whales Challenge for the season was contested last Saturday. What a great start to the Challenges for the season. The Maroon (Turner) team led for most of the morning, but a great late effort by the White (Emery) team meant both teams finished tied on 1,329 points. With 2 more Challenges to be held during the season, everyone will be keenly awaiting the next Challenge on Saturday 16th January, 2021 to help swim their team to victory.

Christmas Hampers & BBQ

The club is providing Christmas Hampers for a member raffle to be held on Saturday 19th December (our last race day before Christmas). Every member will be allocated a raffle number and a lucky draw will occur after club races conclude. There are a total of 4 prize hampers and there is a limit of 1 hamper prize per family.

A BBQ will also be held as well as novelty events. These events will be held with Covid Protocols in mind, so please ensure you follow the directions provided on the morning. We are looking for volunteers to assist with the BBQ, so if you are able to assist please see Emily Ton. We hope everyone can join us on the morning as we celebrate the season and the end of a most unusual 2020.

Squad Training Break

The last training session for 2020 will be held on Thursday, 17th December 2020. See all the details here.

Swimming NSW Senior Age Championships

These championships commence today and conclude on 17th December.

Good luck to Vanessa Ozols (5 events), Alison Sakurovs (1 event) & Summer Shrestha (1 event) who have qualified and will compete at the meet. May the whale be with you all.

COVID-19 Safety Plan & Protocols

Updates that affect our club members can be found here. Please ensure you regularly check the club website for these updates as changes occur.

We appreciate the assistance everyone is giving in helping to comply with the plan. We all need to ensure that we continue to adopt good practices. Some key points to continue to remember are:

• Do not come to club activities if you are not feeling well;
  
• Maintain social distancing by spreading out in areas to sit (do not congregate in areas);
  
• Only timekeepers, officials & swimmers for the event to be swum should be in the marshalling area;
• Practice good hygiene by washing hands & using hand sanitizer regularly.
  

Fundraising Chocolates

If you are interested in participating in the fundraising please email the Social Secretary (Emily Ton) (emily.ton@merrylandsasc.asn.au) advising you would like chocolates to sell. Orders will be placed in late January, so please let Emily know if you are interested in placing an order.

Championship Qualification

Please ensure you have swum a championship qualifying swim before completing your online race entries each week. Championship dates & all other events can be found in the season program here.

Club Championship Results

Congratulations to all swimmers who competed in the 200m Individual Medley Open Championships last week. There were a total of 22 entries for these races, it was encouraging to see so many swimmers competing. The results are here.

Club Uniforms

Items can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

If you have any questions about club uniforms please talk to the Property Officer (Margaret Edwards).

Member Profile

Welcome to Michael Vicic as the newly elected Male Club Captain. Some interesting information about Michael that you may not know:

Upcoming Events

Australian Not-For-Profit Technology Awards

Congratulations to Peter Johnston who has been presented with a Lifetime Service Award at the Australian Not-For-Profit Technology Awards. Peter received the award for his technology-related service to Merrylands Amateur Swimming Club. Peter has been providing his services since the mid 1990’s and continuously adapts and finds ways to enhance accessibility to members of the club and the wider community. We all greatly appreciate the extensive work Peter does behind the scenes for our club. I’m not sure how he fits in his full-time job, club coaching and Committee roles such as the website and technology solutions.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let us know.