The Victorian Country Championships were held recently in Warrnambool between the 23rd and 25th January with huge crowds in attendance. Swimland Swim Club was very proud to have 2 representatives this year, both from Swimland Bendigo. Tayla Vlaeminck swam the 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly and 50m Backstroke, while Jacob Waller swam the 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly and 100m Breaststroke. The Championships began with a very official ceremony where each swimming club competing in the championships was asked to find two representatives to carry their banner in a lap around the pool. The tension and nervousness for both swimmers was broken a little when Peter Howes, Head Coach, asked Tayla and Jacob to find two swimmers to carry the banner. Given they were the only swimmers, the choice was easy. Our Swimland Swim Club banner was then proudly hung within the trees on poolside, and although Swimland may have only been represented by a small contingent, our presence was certainly visible for all to see. Both Tayla and Jacob performed well in all their races, Jacob obtaining personal best times in all his events, and Tayla swimming her second fastest times in all of hers. Warrnambool put on some excellent weather for the weekend, so competitors also found time to go down and enjoy the beach. The Vlaemincks and Wallers joined Peter Howes for a meal together at a local restaurant on the Sunday night, which was a good opportunity to catch up and relax. Overall this was a great experience for both swimmers, with lots of emphasis on warm ups and warm downs before and after races, all done in the indoor 25m pool. It was also a great opportunity for the parents to see how serious these events are. Qualifying for and competing in Country Championships takes a lot of commitment and is a wonderful achievement for all who get there. It is a tangible goal that all our country swimmers can strive for. Let's see how many more qualifiers we can get to the Country Championships next year.