Thrills from the hills in Pier to Pub

By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE was well represented at the 32nd Lorne ‘Pier to Pub’ swim on 7 January.
Members and former members of the Healesville Swimming Club were among the 5000 people, including footballers, celebrities, politicians and athletes between 12 and 88 who took the plunge.
Frank Hayes, in the lead up to this 63rd birthday notched up double-sharkbait status – completing his 20th swim – along with 16 other Healesville swimmers including double-sharkbait veteran Mike Thomas, swimming his 21st Pier to Pub, and teenager Tamara Groves who finished fifth in the junior girls in 15 minutes 27 seconds.
Swimmers are inducted into the ‘shark bait’ club after 10 swims.
Hayes, who did his first Pier to Pub in 1990 and still swims in relay competitions with Healesville and in Masters competitions, placed 58th in the Super Veteran Male with a swim of 20.46. He said the open water events have grown in popularity over the years with an event now held almost every weekend.
Thomas, 53, did his first Pier to Pub in 1989 when he was also competing in triathlons. He placed 96th in the Veteran Male section with 19.02.
The 1.2km swim is not as physically demanding as some of the other open water events, but it is one that is almost addictive according to both Thomas and Hayes.
“It’s not like you get to the end and think ‘phew … I’ve made it”, it’s the big picture … all the people on the beach, a big festival which this year attracted 5000 swimmers,” Thomas said.
“I see people from here that I have not seen for a while and it’s a sort of an annual ritual which once you start is hard to say you’re not going to do it when the time rolls around.”
Hayes agrees.
“It’s the largest open-water race anywhere in the world and when you get to Lorne you catch up with people you have swam with over the years in Masters and other competitions and it’s just a great event to be part of.”
Groves has a way to go to catch up with Healesville’s shark-bait members, but is not wasting any time notching up her own achievements. She is using the open water events as a hit out coming up to the national age championships in Queensland in April where she will swim in the 200m and 200m freestyle and backstroke and is edging closer in her times to also qualify for the 100m butterfly.
On Saturday (21 January) she again headed out to sea putting in a courageous effort to take first place in the Portsea Classic in 14.21.
Another state squad team member from Healesville, Casey Wright, swam 21.09 in the Pier to Pub, while other junior members Cindy Mills – one of the few swimmers not to wear a wetsuit – placed 64 in the Junior Girls with 22.22, and Tess Mellows and Georgia Murty dead-heated for 88th place in 23.52.
In the Junior Boys section Travis Groves and Ryan Vaux pushed each other placing 57th and 63rd respectively with 18.19 and 18.27. Ben Vaux and his girlfriend had a close contest also with Vaux placing 111 with 16.16 in the Open Male section and Stephanie Diggins placing 32 in the Open Female with 16.11.
Other Healesville swimmers to compete were: Luke Thomas 17.17 – 159 Open Male, Elizabeth Kay 20.19 – 184 Open Female, Andrew Moore 19.47 – 135 Senior Male, Rien Low 21.22 – 248 Senior Male, Doug Vaux 24.10 j- 441 Masters Male, Heather Pitt 22.00 – 54 Masters Female.