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MSA SPECIAL OCTOBER 2020 UPDATE
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From the National Office

Dear masters member,

We hope that you are keeping well and staying safe during this time and thank you for your continued support of our organisation.

It is with much regret to inform you of the resignation of MSA President Gerry Tucker from the National Board of Management after suffering from ill health in recent months. Gerry has served on the National Board of Management since May 2007, as Finance Director and since 2017 as President. He has developed life-long relationships throughout Masters Swimming in Australia and beyond and leaves the Organisation in a strong position to undertake its strategic direction in 2020 and beyond. We would like to thank Gerry for his loyalty and passion, hard work and dedication he has given to the swimming community and the support he has provided the National Office throughout the years. We wish him a safe return to better health and (in time) to his passion for swimming.

The National Board of Management has nominated Jane Noake to fill the vacant role of President for the present term, while operating as a four person Board until the next call for nominations. Jane joined the National Board in 2018 after serving 10 years as the President of MSNSW. Thank you Jane for raising your hand during this time and taking on the challenge.

Thank you to the National Board of Management, Management Committees, Branches and Administrators, Clubs, Coaches and Volunteers who have worked together to keep our members safe in their return back to swimming. Its wonderful to see so much activity from our members around the country and especially from our Victorians who are jumping back in the pool with gusto!

Take Care
Sarah Pisterman
MSA General Manager

National Championships Schedule

The National Board of Management is pleased to confirm the following schedule for the National Championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023:

• MSNT will host the Nationals in Darwin, April 2021.

• MSNSW will host the Nationals in Sydney, 2022 (April).

• MST will host the Nationals in Hobart, 2023.

 

2021 National Swim Series

Nominations are underway for the 2021 National Swim Series. We are excited to start planning for next year which will see 10 series events around the country.

 

Online Club Coach Workshop - Masters Swimming WA Pilot

MSWA has been working hard to create an interactive online delivery of the MSA Club Coach Workshop which not only creates an opportunity for all trainees to complete their coach accreditation during the period of COVID-19 restrictions, but provides flexible and cost effective access for remote and regional trainees for the future. MSWA launched the Pilot project on 12 September as a controlled release, following more than two months of development and testing. The pilot will close by 30 November 2020 and feedback will be collated and submitted to the National Coaching Committee for review and approval as an accredited workshop.

Congratulations to MSWA on a great initiative!

MSA teams up with SDA’s Steph Cronin

As a Masters Swimmer we understand that you are part of unique group of athletes with important nutritional needs! This is why Masters Swimming Australia has teamed up with Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA) to develop resources that are designed not only to enrich your member experience but to provide you with nutrition facts to improve your performance.

Listen to Accredited Sports Dietitian,  Steph Cronin’s segment on pre-training nutrition for masters swimmers. You too can feel great in and out of the water! 
MSA Postal Swims
Wanting to get some swimming in - why not try one of the great Postal Swims on offer. You may not realise but MSA Postal Swims are run by Clubs so what a better way than support each other and swim at the same time. Plus dates have been extended to give everyone a chance to participate.
Tuggeranong Trifecta - Three swims, each in a different stroke: 400m, 800m, 1500m 
A perfect double dip – a postal swim for you, and some Endurance 1000 points for your club. 
Entries now close 31 October! 
And if you enter you will receive one of these gorgeous ‘Rampage of the Vikings’ swim cap, and it’s a beauty! 
 
Singleton Sundial complete 12 swims around the Sundial and become a Member of the Secret Society of Sundial Swimming. Yes that is right complete the 12 events of the Singleton Sundial Swim in any stroke within 12 months:     
 
1 o’clock 100m    7 o’clock 700m
2 o’clock 200m    8 o’clock 800m
3 o’clock 300m    9 o’clock 900m
4 o’clock 400m    10 o’clock 1000m
5 o’clock 500m    11 o’clock 1100m
6 o’clock 600m    12 o’clock 1200m
Entries now close 31 October!

Baddaginnie Animal Swim, Unleash the animal within - swim 5 events in one day. Revived by the Surrey Park Seahorses and is a great chance to support a Victorian club!
200m Fly
200m Back
200m Breast
400m IM
800m Free
Entries now close 31 December!

Swimming Up Hills - what better way to tune up your fitness, add to your endurance swims, prepare for the summer open water swimming season or just get together with your club mates & crank out some extra laps for a total of 5,900m over nine swims
Entries now close 31 December!
And they have made it easier to enter so jump on the website and enter via the smartphone app
Masters Swimming NSW
MSNSW and their Clubs have been busy as always. They have held another one of their successful Virtual Swim meets where members could swim one, any or all of the 8 events with a bonus 50 points for submitting a video of the Club activity. Manly Masters won on points but Hills won on Average points. Make sure you check out the MSNSW webpage to watch the 7 great fun videos submitted - awesome work everyone!  Next up are the 2 'Back to the Future' swim meets. One coming up fast in October (Knox Grammar) and one in November (Ryde Aquatic). Then bookings are pencilled in for events on 29 November, 6 December finishing their year with a Women-Only twilight carnival at Auburn pool on Friday 11 December (this event was postponed last year). This is an exciting collaboration with Swim Sisters, Different Strokes Adult Swim School and the venue management. Keep up the good work!
Image below: Blacktown swimmers held their own mini-meet to complete swims in the virtual meet.
Masters Swimming NT
MSNT are one of the Branches who are incredibly lucky with life pretty much proceeding as normal in the COVID-free NT environment. They are currently looking forward to the Branch LC Championships, transferred from the cancelled Alice Springs Masters Games, to be held in Darwin on Saturday 10 October and also busily planning the 2021 MSA National Championships. Getting into the swim of things are the Darwin Stingers who have been doing some tough aerobic endurance sessions but it is not all work and no play for them - they recently had a fabulous Club Day out on the Coroboree Billabong in Maree, the party boat with 17 members spotting birds and crocs. Great to see!
Image below: Some tired but happy Stingers after completing a tough aerobic endurance session 
Masters Swimming QLD

MSQ has been holding it's first state-wide Postal Time Trial Meet over the months of September and October. This has been a great chance for MSQ swimmers to test their post-COVID fitness with two meets set up in Quick Entry – one for Short Course and one for Long Course. A maximum of 15 SC and 15 LC events may be entered, with an emphasis on participation for fitness and fun. It has been great to see how some of the MSQ Clubs have embraced this concept. Check out MSQ news HERE or their FB page from some great images from the Clubs.
MSQ is saddened to share the news that Noosa Masters lost one of their dearly-loved life members, Olga McCausland, in September, after a short illness. There is a wonderful tribute to her on the MSQ website. All our sympathy to Olga’s husband Bob, family, friends and Club 'family'
Image below - Cairns Mudcrabs took part in the MSQ Postal Swim SC in Sept, reigniting the competitive streak for some! The LC events will be completed on Tuesday 20th October at the Woree Pool - go Muddies!
Masters Swimming SA

It is great seeing Masters back in the pool again in SA and haven't they been having some fun. The MSSA SC State Cup was recently held during September at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre and it was another fabulous and well run swim!  Adelaide Masters won the event with a total of 817 points. Second and third place was closely fought out with Marion winning second with 433 points followed by the newest Masters Club for 2020 - Phoenix Masters, in third with 427 points. Coming up soon in their SC LD Meet in November and the start of the Open Water Season kicking off in December. Also congratulations to their newest Life Members - Tim Calver and Robert Fergusson. 
Image below: 75 swimmers hit the water for the 2020 Solstice Swim. Thanks to Case and Karen for the photo.
Masters Swimming Tasmania
It is great to share that MST is another Branch that have essentially been back to normal, with all pools open and very little Covid-19 restrictions, for more than two months now. Their focus over the next few weeks is the two competitions that will result in them being in the very fortunate position of getting all of their Branch competitions completed for this year. The Long Course - Long Distance meet will be conducted as scheduled in Hobart on 17 October and the Short Course - Long Distance one, postponed from June, in Launceston on 12 December. Great work!
Image below: The Hobart Dolphins Women's Relay team who broke a Branch relay record at the Winter Championships in August.
Masters Swimming Victoria
As Victoria starts to come out of Stage 3 & 4 Restrictions and outdoor pools start to open the competition to secure a swimming spot heats up! MSV members who live within 5km's of Metro pools have alarms set really early to make sure they do not miss out on a coveted lane space. In fact a MSV member posted on facebook about Hawthorn pool opening the next day - “On a scale from one to sleeping in your Speedo, how excited are you?” This is something members would identify with regardless of where you live! Some intrepid members have held off packing their wetsuits away for now to keep swimming in the open water, in regional lakes and rivers and with pools opening even getting into a solar 'heated' outdoor pool (and anyone who knows Victoria in winter knows it might be a tad icy)  Clubs have been holding zoom meetings, trivia nights and even have done treasure hunts within their 5kms to keep connected.
It hasn't been easy but you have all done yourselves proud.  
And those who have been lucky to swim at an MSV event over the years would know the wonderful Watmough's - check out Catherine Watmough in Portugal "rocking" Great Victoria Swim Series bathers & mask. MSV will kep you up to date with the planning of the 2020-21 GVSS.
You have got this!
Image below: another example of the amazing MSV members and all staying strong
Masters Swimming WA

MSWA are offering come and try Masters Swimming between October 30 – November 2 at one of their 15 free Let’s Swim Together training sessions. Why not encourage a friend/family member to come and test the water and stay for a social event after each session. MSWA also recently held the LiveLighter ‘Swim to Everest’ Spring Equinox virtual meet. The concept was swimmers create a team (duo, trio or foursome) to complete the total distance of 8850m – the height of Everest. The programmes could be swum as many times as teams would like during the ‘Spring Equinox’ week. The idea is that people share the lead – the 'equal' part of Equinox. The Team with the most creative ‘Summit’ photo or video will be awarded a prize. Check it out below! Next up is the Stadium Masters LiveLighter Club Challenge in October and LiveLighter Club Challenge held by the FreoFins. Great work WA!
Image below: The Sagamatha Selkies from Whitford Masters Swimming Club who took out the prize in the Live_Lighter Swim to Everest Virtual Meet.
Vorgee Million Metres
Masters Swimming Australia and Vorgee have worked closely together for over 10 years and continue to support each other through these difficult times. With all the restrictions in place in Victoria over the past few months we have had to hold off ordering the tops and plaques. We are excited that with the easing of restrictions we will be placing quite a few orders. While we wait lets celebrate some of the first Million Metres recipients from the beginning of 2020.
A BIG congratulations to Don Taylor (Toowoomba Tadpoles) for swimming 15 Million Metres. Don began his Masters swimming way back in 1998 with the Cairns Mudcrabs before joining the Cairns Sea Eagles and then the Malvern Marlins after he moved back to Wodonga. MSQ website has a wonderful news story all about Don as well as the other Qld recipients. Amazing Don!!!
Congratulations also to the following wonderful recipients below:
Left - Jane Davies (Darwin Stingers) 2 Million; Centre Top - Neal Bertram (Phoenix Masters) 3 Million; Centre Bottom - Barry Lloyd (Noosa Masters) 1 Million and Right - Jac Stirrat (Darwin Stingers) 2 Million
But wait there is more - Congratulations to: Naomi McGilvray (North McKay Sinkers) 2 Million  and John Miles (Sunshine Coast) 4 Million.
Please continue to stay safe during 2020 and thank you for staying with us and your Clubs during this time. The MSA National Office is currently closed due to the Victorian restrictions and we apologise for any delay in delivering Certificates to you during this time. While the office is closed our staff are working remotely and can be contacted on admin@mastersswimming.org.au.
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Our mailing address is:
Level 2, Sports House
375 Albert Park Road
Albert Park, Victoria 3206

Contact:
admin@mastersswimming.org.au
Please note during this time of restrictions in Victoria, the MSA staff are working from home and will respond promptly to emails.
And most importantly please STAY SAFE

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