Stingrays duo compete at open water swim

Two Narrabri Stingrays swimmers competed in the Nepean Aquatic Centre Swim Club 2019 Nutrition Station Open Water event which was held at the weekend at the Sydney International Regatta Centre at Penrith.

Clare Jensen and Adison Hartog-Smith became the first Stingrays in recorded history to compete in an official open water event.

Open water swimming differs from pool swimming in that the events are held in open bodies of water such as a lake or the ocean.

The distances are different to pool swimming.

The distances on offer were the one kilometre, 2.5 kilometres, and five kilometres. As a 10-year-old, Adison was limited in the distance she could swim so she took on the one kilometre swim.

Clare was one of the youngest competitors in the five kilometre event but this did not deter her.

Both girls were amazing in their performance.

Although coach Fiona Connell was confident about the distance required, knowing the girls had done the hard work in training, swimming in open water brings a whole new set of skills.

Learning to navigate the course, swim with wind drift as well as swimming closely with 80-plus other youths and adults are all new skills with which the girls had to contend.

Clare took out the silver medal for the 12-years girls in a time of one hour, 18 minutes and five seconds.

This was much quicker than the goal she had set for herself and qualified her for the NSW State Age event to be held in December.

Although exhausted at the end, Clare was extremely happy with her performance and cannot wait to go to State in December.

Coach Connell said that Clare settled into the swim quite quickly and set a very consistent pace throughout.

Even a nasty headwind in the final 500 metres did not slow her down.

Adison was amongst the youngest of the competitors and started the one kilometre event among 80 female swimmers aged 10-to-53 years of age.

Having never competed in open water, Adison quickly settled into her swim and found other competitors of a similar pace to swim with.

Adison hoped to finish the course in around 22 minutes but finished the event in 17 minutes, 18 seconds.

Adison said she really enjoyed the challenge and was looking forward to turning 11 so that she can swim in the 2.5 kilometre events.

Clare and Adison then went on to join the remaining Narrabri Stingrays squad at a carnival in Dubbo on Sunday.

The Narrabri Stingrays Swimming Club is hoping that more swimmers try open water and long distance events in the future.