"A club that works well has to have a level of
enjoyment, " says club President Roger
Sharpley. "People who don't swim wonder how
we can just swim up and down the pool for
hours on end. And it can be a bit soul
destroying, unless you have that enjoyment and
are doing it with people that you get on with.
And we definitely have that."
members to decide when they will train. They
also host about 15 'handicap' competitions per
year, where each member is assigned a
handicap based on their level. This creates a
level playing field and means that any member,
theoretically, can win. "This is to encourage
inclusivity," Sharpley says.
and a ¼ mile swim in the Serpentine. All are
followed by a BBQ and a celebration. "The
open water events and the handicap events
really help to break up what might be seen as a
repetitive and sterile activity," Sharpley points
out. >>