Swimming THE Mansfield Swimming Club is no stranger to a challenge. Despite a summer-only and weather-dependent home pool, the club is running at full capacity for the 2023/24 summer season. "We have four lanes in the mornings when we swim and between 25 and 30 kids," head coach Alli Walker remarked. "In the afternoons, we have two one hour sessions and we have between 14 and 18 kids in two lanes. "We can't fit any more in." Gemma Ferguson has taken the job of president of the club this year with Alli Walker as head coach. Alli is proud of the growth of the club. "We used to have 10 or 15 kids turn up,” she said. "We had 25 kids at each session turning up during January this year." Alli argues the high attendance is a positive sign for the community, providing a strong justification for making the pool all–weather. "With a club of 65, if we had a year–round facility, [we could create] one full time and one part time job," she said. Last season was also wildly successful in terms of competitions, with swimmers attending new meets and improving their standings at mainstays in the calendar. The club is looking forward to its first meets, being the JX Summer Starter at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) on October 14 and the Country Junior District - also at MSAC – on October 28. The first session is scheduled back in Mansfield after the pool opens on Monday, November 20. While the club is at capacity, there is a waitlist for future spots, should they become available.
