Kids flock to novelty swimming event

They may have been hesitant to get in the water at first, but judging by the number of kids in the pool and the jumping and cheering by the end of the event, you wouldn’t have known it.

Intermediate pupils from different schools gathered at the Nelson Intermediate Pool yesterday for the annual novelty swimming event, held to encourage reluctant swimmers to get in the water.

Organiser Jane Miles has been running the event for the past 16 years and said the idea came about after she noticed that while some students got to participate in the interschool swimming sports at Nayland College, there was nothing for those who weren’t as competitive or confident in the water.

Around 120 kids from Nelson Intermediate, Broadgreen Intermediate, Waimea Intermediate, St Joseph’s School and Nelson College for Girls Preparatory School swam in the Nelson Intermediate school pool.

Miles said it was the ideal facility as the water was not over the students’ heads.

Miles said students who weren’t involved with the competitive sporting events often didn’t get the chance to mix with pupils from different schools or participate in interschool tournaments.

‘‘It shows them they don’t have to be competitive swimmers to have fun in the water,’’ she said.

The events included a piggy back race, waiter’s tray race and a hat relay, in which the students had to make it to the other side of the pool by walking or swimming while wearing a hat that they then swapped with the next team member.

The excitement amongst them was clear, with many rushing to line up for the races as each age group was called admidst loud cheering.

Miles said the students could enter as many different races as they liked and she tried to mix

The idea is to not make it complex and difficult, it’s about having minimum rules and maximum fun. Jane Miles Organiser of the annual novelty swimming event at the Nelson Intermediate Pool

them up each year, with a combination of events in and above the water.

‘‘The idea is to not make it com- plex and difficult, it’s about having minimum rules and maximum fun,’’ she said.

While some were reluctant at the start, she said it was positive to see their confidence develop during the day.

Caitlin Kerr, 11, from Waimea Intermediate, said while she didn’t like swimming that much, she really enjoyed the event and had entered every race that she could.

‘‘It’s a whole lot of fun to be swimming,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s getting me more confident in the water.’’

Miles thanked the students for coming along and said: ‘‘The best thing about my day is seeing you out there getting active and having a good time.’’