Sport
10 February, 2026
Local club hosts annual swimming meet
Despite the closure of Maryborough’s outdoor pool, the Maryborough Swimming Club continues to dive into action, hosting its annual meet on Sunday, February 1.
Held at the Faith Leech Aquatic Centre in Bendigo with the assistance of the Bendigo Hawks Aquatic Club and the Central Victoria Swimming district, 154 swimmers from around central Victoria competed in 56 events across the meet, with distances ranging from 25 m to 400 m.
The Maryborough Swim Club had 90 percent of its swimmers competing, many for the first time at an official meet.
Coaches Randall Edwards and Joy Stephen-Jones faced numerous challenges getting swimmers prepared for the meet, including the lack of access to an outdoor 50 m pool, forcing training to happen in a 25 m pool.
Despite those difficulties, local swimmers produced some out-standing results throughout the meet, headlined by Poppy Smith winning the mixed 25 m butterfly.
The 14-year-old also registered a seven-second improvement on her personal best in the 400 m freestyle, one of many swimmers to earn a PB at the event.
Despite learning how to dive off the blocks only days before the competition at a practice in the Dunolly pool, Talia Martin won an Australian Junior Excellence award for her 50 m breaststroke time of 1:01.54.
Talia’s sister, Elise Martin, Charlie Bucknall and Angus Beer were also among the standouts for the Maryborough Swimming Club, with the club also coming third in the mixed 200 m freestyle relay.
Maryborough Swimming Club president Duncan Bates thanked the support of volunteers, the club’s swimming district and its sponsors for ensuring the event ran smoothly to great success.
“As a small club, we are chuffed to have run a successful meet and have young and novice swimmers step up, out of their comfort zones and represent Maryborough with great pride,” he said.
“We received generous support from several local businesses, including Dunolly Bakery, Woolworths and Truefoods.”