Future bright for Taranaki Swimming

Will Johnston

Despite a decrease in the number of competitive swimmers in Taranaki, entries for the Taranaki 12 and Under Swimming Championships are up.

Overall figures dropped drastically according to Taranaki Swimming administrator Tania Stockman -  and Covid wasn’t to blame, she said.

“Based on the entry figures, like the income, it looks like our numbers have dropped 40-50 percent, which is quite huge.”

“Swimming is quite an expensive sport, not so much like entering competitions, but you have to pay the council fees for lane hire – it’s that side of it that’s quite expensive,” she said.

But numbers for the championships at the TSB Pool Complex in Stratford starting on Friday were swelled by a visiting team from just down the road.

“It’s good to have visitors; we have 24 coming up from Whanganui. They usually come and have a swim up here.”

The Whanganui team will join swimmers from Taranaki clubs including Aquabladz, Highlands, Stratford and Hawera clubs.

The 86 swimmers entered will feature in many races across the weekend, including a family relay.

Stockman said while there were so many standout swimmers in the region, the brother-and-sister combination of Jackson and McKenzie Rowlands from Aquabladz were expected to perform well.

Stratford’s Anahera Martin is another tipped do well.

Stockman said a lot of  volunteers were needed to run the event.

“It’s very volunteer based. We have about 18-21 timekeepers per session. They do such a good job.”

The championship is one of many events for Taranaki’s top  swimmers including  the New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland, the National Age Groups in Wellington, the Division 2 Championships in Dunedin and the Junior Festival in Hamilton.

Stockman said clubs around the region organise interclub challenges to increase numbers with the club relay event in March.

Facilities continue to be an issue with a number of Taranaki’s top swimmers, like Zac Reid, travelling to Marton to use its 50-metre pool, the only one between Hamilton and Wellington.

During the winter, swimmers share pool time with surf lifesavers sometimes impacting on bookings.

Swimming in the region is heavily supported by New Zealand Community TRust, Southern and Pelorus Trusts and the Lion Foundation.

“Without them we simply cannot operate,” Stockman said.