Last weekend 3 Out To Swimmers -  Dimitri S, Rob W and I went to Barcelona to compete and enjoy ourselves in a great tournament held in a glorious outdoor pool. The weather forecast had threatened rain but our parade was not rained upon and the sun shone on our backs while we swam in the cold waters of the 50m pool. There was a wonderfully positive, supportive atmosphere and it was a great opportunity to meet friends from around Europe (there were lots of French, some Swiss, Belgians, Germans and even people from Croatia). In total, we got 5 gold and 4 silver medals, but more importantly we had a lovely time. The fun relay at the end of the competition, with grass skirts and balloons, was worth watching. 

After swimming, a dinner and party were held to bring together all the athletes competing in the different sports of the tournament. And, of course, time to visit the marvellous city of Barcelona. 

There have also been other competitions taking place recently far closer to home, also attended by Out To Swim. Two of us went to Barnet Copthall Sprint Meet on the 4th of September, where we managed 6 silvers and a bronze. It was, as always, a well-organized and smoothly-run meet. The pool may not be the best of all or the most appealing, but they do provide warm-up and swim-down pools throughout the meet; a real perk.

On the 11th September, Martin B and I went to Maidenhead for the Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire Masters Meet, managing to gain 2 golds and 3 silvers in an event that had been out of the calendar for five years and is now making a comeback.  

If you don’t want to miss any upcoming competitions, just look on the OTS webpage’s calendar, where you can find the dates and how to sign up for the next meets, either abroad or based locally in the UK. Have a look at our competition calendar here: http://www.outtoswim.org/club-calendar/

David D-M
Competition Secretary