Dolphins dive into Kangaroo Flat

NATIONAL swimming team, The Dolphins, have been using the Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre in Kangaroo Flat as a training base ahead of their Short Course World Championship campaign in Melbourne next week.

With a near full squad in the pool, including Bendigo’s Jenna Staunch, head coach Rohan Taylor said bringing the team to town was important.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “We need to do more of it.

“With facilities like this there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to come out to regional areas and engage with the community and encourage people to really want to swim and be part of the sport.

“I think anytime you take athletes into environments they’re not familiar with there’s always a good benefit because they have to revisit why they are doing what they are doing.”

Along with the open training sessions in Kangaroo Flat, the squad will also undertake some team building opportunities.

“I call this the finetuning stage,” Taylor said. “Right now, it’s about converting the work they have been doing… getting in a doing the fast stuff when they need to sharpen them up and get ready.

“We’ll have training, both morning and afternoon each day.

“We have our gold cap presentation which is a bit of a tradition and ritual for us where we present the caps for the team in pin number order, they all have a pin number based on their number of being on the team.”

For Staunch, who came through the ranks at Bendigo East, it was somewhat of a home coming.

The breaststroke specialist and Commonwealth Games silver medallist said it was “very exciting” to be in town with her peers.

“I never thought I’d be able to come back with the Australian team,” she said. “I’m stoked to be here and showing everyone my hometown.”

Staunch will be in action at the Worlds and said she was feeling good ahead of the meet.

“We just have to make the most of the home crowd and see what we can do and enjoy the atmosphere,” she said.

Taylor had nothing but praise for the local product, in and out of the pool.

“Jenna is one of our athlete leaders and one of the great personalities and characters on the team,” he said.

“She’s a great competitor and just great to have on the team. To come into her hometown and be here is great and I think she’s enjoying it.”

All the Dolphins’ training sessions at Gurri Wanyarra are open to the public.

They’ll be in the pool from 7am to 9am this Friday, and again on Saturday morning, when the squad will also take part in a signing session and meet and great with fans between 11am and 12pm.