UQ Swim Club
League:
Brisbane swimming/Swimming Queensland/ Swimming Australia
State / Area:
QLD / Metro
Funding Requested
$1500
Voting has now finished.
Recipients will be announced on 6th June 2016.
About UQ Swim Club
The UQ Swim Club is based at the University of Queensland Aquatic Centre at St Lucia, Brisbane. The 2011 Brisbane floods caused significant damage to the UQ pool which was closed for almost a year. The UQ Swim Club was then reborn when the centre reopened. Numbers have steadily grown since and now include 90 competitive age group swimmers. The club also has a successful Master Swimming arm and acts as the base for the UQ unigames swim team. This season the club has won the Brisbane Swimming Division 3 Premiership, had swimmers make school nationals, club states and open national trials. UQ now also has our first international representative with one of our swimmers recently chosen to swim at an international meet. The club is inclusive with multi class swimmers training beside non-multiclass swimmers. During Summer school terms the club also has Fortnightly meets.
Value to the Community
UQ Swim Club is a non-school based swimming club drawing members from a wide community. This allows for interaction between a range of swimmers and their parents. The club draws heavily from the learn-to-swim program run at the pool providing a pathway for young people to strengthen their swimming skills and compete if they chose. Swimmers do not have to be competitive - many swimmers join for squad training and the enjoyment of Friday night club meets. The club in inclusive with multiclass swimmers training in regular squads. UQ Swim Club aims to be family friendly and the Friday club nights are open to all of our members and sometimes their parents! The club also provides a pathway for University aged students to rekindle or continue their passion for swimming in our Academy Squad. This squad has a wonderful camaraderie and provides easy connections for those new to Brisbane.
Why the funds are needed
The funds would be used to purchase a backstroke start device which has become a necessary piece of swimming equipment. This device is now used at all major meets and can reduce times by up to 0.2s. UQ Swim club currently has one swimmer who recently swam backstroke events at Open Nationals and is now off to an International meet. Prior to National the club relied on the generosity of another local swimming club for use of their device in training.A swimmer needs to learn how to use the start device properly. Some of our younger swimmers are opting to use the device at meets without training which could result in injury. We need a backstroke start device so our swimmers are not disadvantaged in backstroke races in major meets (Regional, State, National and International level). The device purchased would be the Columbia device as it will fit a range of starting blocks (we don't have track start blocks). This device can be sourced from a company at the Gold Coast and costs just over $1500 with shipping.
Links
uqswim.org.au
UQ Swim Club on Facebook
@uqswim on Twitter
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