SUMMER at the Nyah District Community Swimming Pool is always action-packed, with the whole community enjoying recreation and fitness.
While the team at the pool had already hosted its VICSWIM program, the Swan Hill Regional Library outreach van, and regular laps and aerobics sessions, it was gearing up to host an Australia Day celebration on the afternoon of January 26.
More than 130 people came through the pool gate at last year’s celebrations, and Community Pool secretary-director Pam Paynter anticipated a similar turnout this year.
“We will have games around the lawns of the pool, with other community groups contributing their time and equipment, as well as a free sausage sizzle, the ice cream van and prizes,” she said.
The games include Jenga, pogo stick, bocce and frisbee golf.
“Throughout the summer, the pool is somewhere to come to get out of the house, a place to catch up with friends and family, where people of all ages can enjoy the facilities,” Ms Paynter said.
“It’s a very low-impact activity, and the water temperature is maintained about 27 degrees and enables people to enjoy it longer, taking the chill out of the water.”
Almost 20 people regularly attend the early morning lap swimming and exercise sessions from 6am to 9am, as well as the Thursday evening water aerobics classes led by local instructor Sharon Rogers at 6pm.
Families book out the annual three-week VICSWIM program led by Maxine Schache for intensive swimming lessons.
Mum Gretchen Skinner enrols her three children in the classes every year, and she and her husband also learned to swim at the Nyah pool.
“My youngest Belle was so excited to finally be old enough to join in after watching her brothers in the pool every summer, since our eldest Eli started three years ago,” she said.
“Maxine has been here all of the years and goes above and beyond, I don’t know what we’d do without her.
“The kids all love it, even though they’re very tired after the two weeks, and they’re always excited for it to come around again, asking when it’s starting every year.
“It’s the only swimming program we do in the year, and the intensity of the program is really valuable, doing five days in a row for two weeks so each day they’re building on the skills they learned the day before.”
