WOODFORD’S Colin Whiting keeps his Shipwreck Coast Swim Series’ goals simple.
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His aim is to get in and out of the ocean as quickly as he can.
It’s an outlook which has served him well as he has completed the annual tri-series swim’s 30 races.
Winning is not his ambition.
He said he couldn’t remember notching a podium finish at any of the Warrnambool, Port Fairy or Port Campbell legs.
Whiting enters tomorrow’s Port Fairy Moyneyana leg on the back of a 24th place finish in the veterans’ section at Warrnambool.
“I am certainly not last but I am nowhere near first,” he said.
“The young guns are machines. There are people who take it seriously and that is fine. I am more a social swimmer.”
Whiting said he often called upon his years of ocean swimming experience.
“When you start from behind and out wide, you don’t get harassed too much,” he said.
“You learn after a few swims the safest place to be.”
Whiting said he enjoyed all three races, including the daunting Port Campbell leg which is often described as the toughest.
“They are all good. They are nice and enjoyable,” he said.
“Port Campbell is the picturesque one, you’re looking at the bottom the whole way out.”
Whiting said Port Fairy’s East Beach could be choppy and recalled some interesting finishes.
“The good waves smashed you when you were coming in,” he said. “It was great because you were buggered.
“There is a nice bit of banter about your times. My aim is to get in and out of there.”
Whiting, who is also a regular Lorne Pier to Pub entrant, said swimming helped him stay fit despite an ongoing back complaint.
“Swimming is one of the most beneficial exercises with its low impact and it does all of your core strength,” he said.
“It is awesome. I can’t speak more highly of it. It’s good for the body.”