The Yass Swimming Club held its first SISA swimming carnival in over a decade on Sunday, and it was an overwhelming success.
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Held on a beautiful sunny day at the Yass Swimming Pool, it hosted 159 swimmers from 13 clubs. "It's amazing. We've probably outlived our expectations," said club president Jo Hinds.
"Given it's the first carnival of the [season], it's always a bit hit-and-miss as to whether you're going to get lots of participants, but everything's been amazing."
The pool was abuzz with energy throughout the day. Parents and children alike eagerly watched on as each event unfolded, and each club cheered its swimmers loudly during the races.
Canteen staff were also kept busy all day, while patrons sought relief from the heat with icy poles and cool drinks.
While the energy around the pool was constant, the action within it was scintillating. Hinds expressed her delight with the quality of racing on display throughout the day.
"We've got some pretty good swimmers from all over the place. It's been pretty good," she said.
With the initial event's success, Hinds and the swimming club committee are hoping to host another meet.
"We've got to apply to SISA, and [the meet] gets moved around as it is among the SISA clubs," Hinds said. "So when our team comes up in the future, hopefully we'll be able to run it again."
Hinds praised the club committee's quality as a big part of the reason why it was able to host a carnival so soon after reforming.
"We've got our committee up and running again, a really good committee, and we just made the decision that we'd like to make it happen," Hinds said.
"It's been a good thing for Yass swimming ... we're just hoping to get more kids involved in the competitive stuff, the Swimming Australia stuff.
"The more of these we have, and the more exposure we get, the more kids we'll get."
The meet would not have been possible witout the support of sponsors and volunteers who helped the day run smoothly. Hinds was very grateful to those who took time to assist.
What other sports for youth (or any age) in the community should Yass work to build or attract? Send us your thoughts in a letter to the editor: