Julie Adamen
It was a beautiful Saturday morning at the DesertView pool for a swim meet—well, not just any swim meet, but the Glen Peterson Aquatic Festival, hosted annually by our Swim Club. In total, 28 very enthusiastic Swim Club members participated in what one swimmer dubbed, “the goofiest event I’ve ever been to, but the most fun!”
Chaired and managed by Head Coach Terry Heggy, this festival wasn’t a “normal” swim meet, but one where club members of all abilities, were divided into the Blue Team (coached by Larry John) and the Gold Team (coached by Mark Randall) and competed in such events as the 10-Second Water Somersault Challenge (winner: Steve Willer with 9!), the Water Ballet Challenge (experience not required and where much laughter ensued), and the All-Team Members Transport Relay wherein each member swam 25 yards while holding a pool noodle and then handing it off to the next member, not to mention a “Dryland” Plank Challenge where participants had to hold the plank position on either elbows or in a push-up position for a total of two minutes. During this time, several members joined in singing “America the Beautiful,” and then “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Though we’re not sure who started it, everyone sang to make those two minutes fly by. But we must report that three intrepid Swim Club members, Allison Lehman, Susan Moss, and Paige Szajnuk, went well beyond the call of duty and held their planks for five minutes.
Of course, there were additional relays and challenges, all with a “twist,” making this event a very special social gathering for the club. And in case you’re wondering, the Gold Team won the event overall with a total of 139 points to the Blue Team’s 122. A chorus of Queen’s “We Are the Champions” could be heard, albeit off-key, from the shallow end of the pool.
We want to thank all those who came out for this great morning of swimming, fun, and camaraderie, especially our coaches Terry Heggy, Larry John, Mark Randall, and Jay Selnick.
This fun festival is held annually to commemorate Glen Peterson, the Swim Club’s first president, starting in 2005, who swam up until the day of his passing on Oct. 23, 2021.
We would also like to invite SaddleBrooke residents who would like to learn to swim and/or who are afraid of the water to participate in our upcoming free Learn-to-Swim Clinic from March 25 through April 5 in six sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. If interested, please contact Terese Butler at [email protected].