On Friday, June 21, the Flame's Tyneesha Williams met the Winter Wonder Women at Austinmer Pool for a sunset swim to mark the winter solstice.
Here's what a few of the women said about their moonlit dip.
Jen from Wombarra
“Friends were doing the dip tonight and I just thought I'd get stuck in! I've actually been in a bit of a funk today, so I thought a dip in cold water will snap me right out of it.
"You never ever regret a dip. We were living overseas, in Canada, in Covid and I'd dip and in winter it's pretty cold. But all I dreamt about was Wombarra pool. We had a really hard time over there, and I got back and dipped in that water and I was like… I'm home.”
Rani from Thirroul
“I've been a part of the Winter Wonder Women for quite a few years now. So I have not missed any of their events, pretty much, if I'm around. I love the buzz and the cleansing feeling from the cold water and also I love the women in the group. They're just so happy, fun-loving, accepting and supportive of each other, and they're from all different ages as well. So it just feels like a really joyous group.”
Cassandra from Coledale
“We swim all year, we're winter swimmers, we also swim in summer but we're mainly a winter swimmers group. So we just love getting out in the cold water.”
What do you get out of it?
“Friendship, fun, and it motivates you when it's cold, keeping you going through winter. It makes you feel so young and vibrant and just very happy. Cold water makes you happy, believe it or not!
“We just live in a beautiful area and I think we should be grateful for everything – good clean water… I'm just grateful to live here, I love meeting new people. I like people to be happy and all these women… some only started a couple years ago and and they're absolutely addicted now, just constant. And then we've grown this friendship and we have these events now, we go away on weekends and go to different pools in different areas and we go out partying and it's a really connected group.”
Judi from Austinmer
“I'm here for the moonlight swim with the WWWs. It's just fantastic friendships, mental health and immune system. Just overall health and fun. I've always swum, but I only joined this group in 2020. I'm 74 and I'm loving it! The oldest in the group I am!”
Find the Winter Wonder Women swimming group on Facebook or read more in this article by Janice Creenaune.
