By Max Davies
The Pyalong Piranhas Swim Club last week celebrated one year of providing children an opportunity to train and develop their skills in the pool.
Started on May 8, 2022, the Pyalong Piranhas aim to provide an alternative to traditional swim squad training that often requires a commitment to multiple training sessions a week with early morning starts, making swim training unachievable for some families.
The Piranhas instead run two training sessions a week – a weekday evening and Sunday mid-morning – with members attending when available and memberships available on a term-by-term basis.
Pools in Kilmore, Seymour, Lancefield and Heathcote – as well as Bendigo for diving – are used by the club, with children from each of the different communities also included.
Club president Kelly-Anne Skewes said she was proud to be able to give the region’s children the chance to learn new skills and become competitive in the pool.
“We have not sought to target and recruit a strong swim team, rather nurture and develop the skills of the kids that have had a desire to learn and grow,” she said.
“During this process we are proud that we have been able to develop these swimmers, and now 12 months on, the results in the pool and the personal growth of each child is evident. We could not be happier.”
While members can take part in competitive events at their own discretion, the club has travelled to a range of locations including Kyabram, Essendon, Lara, Yarra Valley and Cranbourne to gain competitive experience.
The Pyalong Piranhas also hosted its own swimming competition late last year as there were no other competitive events in the Mitchell Shire.
Club members have placed highly against their metropolitan competitors, and Ms Skewes said it was impressive to see the swimmers continue to break their personal records.
“We are proud to be an inclusive club, offering our members a place to belong. This is the most important and our foremost goal,” Ms Skewes said.
“Our team love to train and are incredibly proud of their club. We approach every event and training session with passion and kindness because we are proud of the community we have created.”
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