Free lessons for Busselton Jetty swimmers

The organisers of Busselton Jetty Swim, an annual open water swimming event featuring a 3.6km swim around Busselton’s beloved Jetty, have announced a new partnership which has seen the creation of several free training programs to help participants reach their swimming goals.

The training programs have been created by Charlotte O’Beirne, the founder and head coach of Swimming Women, a south-west organisation offering group swimming classes and training sessions, primarily to women, in a ‘no pressure’ environment.

A competitive swimmer in her native UK, Charlie has completed the Busselton Jetty Swim multiple times, and coached hundreds of people to the finish line since establishing her business 10 years ago.

The eight-week training programs are tailored to the Busselton Jetty Swim’s signature 3.6km Solo Swim, as well as the One Mile Swim to Shore and Simon’s 500m Shortcut Swim.

As part of the One Mile Swim to Shore, participants walk 1.8km to the end of the Jetty, then swim to back, while the Simon’s 500m Shortcut Swim allows participants to swim under the jetty.

To supplement the training programs a series of videos offering tips specific to Jetty Swim have also been made available.

President of the volunteer organising committee, Kat Rafferty, said the partnership provided an invaluable opportunity for the two organisations to achieve their goals.

“Busselton Jetty Swim and Swimming Women are all about inspiring people of all ages and abilities to swim,” she said.

“But more than that, both organisations recognise that bringing people together and creating connections is just as important.”

Charlie said Swimming Women were thrilled to have officially partnered with the event, noting it was annual a highlight for herself and the ‘mermaids’ she coaches.

“The Busselton Jetty Swim is such a great community event with fantastic camaraderie amongst all the participants,” she said.

“It’s all about everyday people having a go, and as a coach there is nothing better than watching people gain confidence by achieving their goals.

“We’re so happy to be able to provide the training programs which will help more people do exactly the same.”

With eight weeks until the event, the training programs are available to download from the Busselton Jetty Swim website now.

Entries are still available in the Simon’s 500m Shortcut Swim, and the Kids Swim. For more info about the concert or to enter, go to busseltonjettyswim.org.au