First time Rip swimmers

AN AMATEUR all-female Bellarine swim collective conquered one of the Australia’s most notorious waterways last weekend, six women aged between 26 and 67 successfully completing the 3.2km Point Nepean to Point Lonsdale Rip Swim.

The swim was far from the minds of the ‘Salty Bitches’ as they now call themselves, when 18 months ago a small group started meeting at their spiritual home of St Leonards for early morning dips as a way to stay active and connected during the pandemic.

“I was unable to walk as I was awaiting a hip replacement … getting in the water was the only exercise. It wasn’t about how far we could swim, it was about getting in the cold water, shape, size, age, doesn’t matter,” explained Sarah Fenton, one of the group’s founders.

“It’s been great for mental health during COVID. We spend most mornings just laughing at each other, who’s lost their goggles etc.”

“It just got us all through being locked down,” agreed Louise O’Neill, one of six from the group who completed last Saturday’s swim.

It was at an early swim at Indented Head, recalled Ms O’Neill, when they first started issuing each other with escalating challenges like swimming out to a boat moored around 200 metres out from where they’d enter the water.

“Six to eight months ago, maybe a year, we’d stare at it and say should we swim to the green boat … now we’re doing the rip,” Ms O’Neill said.

“You’re completely mad Sarah, we’re going to join you,” recalled Ms Fenton when she first raised the idea of tackling one of the nation’s most challenging water ways.

“I remember when I couldn’t get them out of waist deep water and now they’re swimming three to four kilometres.”

Prior to the swim several members of the group expected it could take hours to complete and said they’d be happy just to finish, so were pleasantly surprised when four came in around the 65-minute mark.

The youngest of the group, 26-year-old Alex Humphrys did it in 47 minutes, followed shortly after by eldest in the group, 67-year-old Ros Mcintyre who arrived in 53 minutes.

“I said to Ros, that’s because you’re retired and can train. But honestly, she did so well,” quipped Ms O’Neill.

The swim was not without its challenges, Sarah Fenton suffered a cramp shortly after jumping off the boat at Point Nepean, and then struggled to regulate her breathing for first 500 metres.

“I had to keep stopping, to get breath … I was so calm, and then I was like, no I’m not, put a shock in our system. Three of us have had COVID recently so that didn’t help.

“We had a pact that we were not going to leave anyone behind, and no one was getting out of the water.”

After sorting out her breathing and cramps, Ms Fenton encountered another challenge in her failing swimsuit.

“The bathers were becoming a sea anchor, I just took them down to the waist … first topless person to finish the rip, ever,” she said.

“Lots of people came down to great us coming out of the water. A friend brought her teenage daughter … to show her that women can do these things.

“Hopefully what we’ve done is inspire other women to do this, challenging themselves to do something they didn’t think they could do.”

For more information on joining the group swimmers visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/959558194586794.