Hi Sharkies!
I hope you are all doing well inside and outside the pool. My name is Nina and I was a Tiburon member during my masters studies last year at University of Maastricht. Last 6 months I spent at an exchange in Sydney, Australia so let me share with you how a life of a swimmer compares to one in Maastricht.
Australia is a known force in the swimming world and Sydney is not an exception. Through my host university st
udent swimming club I got a discounted membership that granted me entrance in all 5 public pools in Sydney. I spent most of my swimming time at Ian Thorpe Acquatic Centre that was only minutes of walk away from my UTS student housing. At ITAC I got to use the pool at anytime and for as long as I wanted, gym, sauna and steam room included. The facilities are really amazing. Student swimming club has organized practices and one large competition per semester.
As the temperatures outside were rising, it was also time to discover some of the amazing beaches Sydney has to offer. Sydney has more than 100 beaches, so there was a lot to be excited about. In addition to most popular and largest Manly and Bondi beach, I spent a lot of time on some of the smaller ones, Tamarama and Bronte being my favourites. I would also recommend watching the sunrise from the rocks at the North Bronte. Almost every beach in Sydney has a sea pool, meaning you can also swim lanes in salt water whenever you want(with a great view!).
Australia really is a heaven for swimmers and anyone who enjoys water sports and activities. I got the chance to learn how to surf, I got to see the penguins exiting the ocean to walk up the hill to their overnight homes, and I got to swim and dive with colourfull fish, sharks and turtles at the Great Barrier Reef. For any swimmer that has an opportunity to visit Australia on exchange or any other way, I promise it will not disappoint ?
In the end I would like to thank Lisa, my Tiburon lane 6 friend, and your Board member for this year for inviting me to share my exchange experience with all of you. Even tho I enjoy discovering new things, I will always fondly remember my time spent at Tiburon, the welcoming community, eperiences, competitions and fun we had!
Don’t forget to get wet!
-Nina Petkovski