IT’S a 10-hour round trip for 90 minutes in the water, but the sense of satisfaction when finishing will be worth it.
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Veteran Warrnambool swimmer Denys Dodd is taking the optimistic approach into the Victorian Open Water Championships at Morwell on Sunday.
Dodd is among dozens contesting the five-kilometre event at the Hazelwood Pondage, a man-made lake created as a cooling pond for the nearby power station.
Joining him in the field is his Warrnambool Masters Swimming Club counterpart John Sheeley. The pair will head to Morwell on Saturday.
“About five years ago four of us did it, then I did it myself a couple of years ago,” Dodd said yesterday.
“I canvassed around this year and John was the only one who wanted to do it … It’s something different to have a bit of a go at. There’s not a lot of five-kilometre or longer events around.
“Especially for people who haven’t done a lot of sea swimming before, it’s good.”
Dodd, a former Hamilton resident who moved to Warrnambool seven years ago, said he enjoyed the “unpredictable” nature of open-water swimming.
“I like the pool but you can never tell what conditions you’re going to get in the sea,” he said.
He and Sheeley have trained five times a week in preparation for the championships. Sheeley has also braved the chilly Lady Bay during the depths of winter.
“We’ll be down the bottom end of the field. As long as we finish in a reasonable time we’ll be happy,” Dodd said.
“John hasn’t done that sort of distance before. It’s a first for him.
“He’s just come into swimming the last 12 months and he’s done really well.”
The Victorian Open Water Championships mark the start of the season for the Warrnambool Masters Swimming Club, nicknamed the Whales.
Club members are also in training for the Shipwreck Coast Swim Series, the Pier to Pub at Lorne and Torquay’s Danger 1000, among others.
Longer events on the calendar include Albert Park’s Splash Dash Bash in December and St Kilda’s Melbourne Swim Classic in February.
The Whales train at AquaZone on Tuesdays and Thursday from 6pm; Wednesdays and Fridays at 6am and 11am; and Sundays from 9am. For information, call Tanya Suggett on 0418 573 537.
