100 Bold & Beautiful Swimmers
E-lane here posting live from Bluewater Cafe, Manly, after another gorgeous swim in our favourite corner of the world! Blogging is scary stuff coming after Jules, Lesley and now the lunatic blogger, I mean witty and charming Robbie. I hope I can bring my passion for these swims to life in my first ever blog!
A lot of people think coming from Avalon almost every day to do these swims is madness, but I feel sluggish now if I don’t swim and nowhere has the excitement and early morning magic of Manly! And of course there are you guys, the lovely people…with the family back in Birmingham you all make me feel so at home!
Love to come early and watch Manly wake up…. Watch the Bolderdashers
leaving at 6am for their 3km swim to Queensie and back. Today there were
only 5 Bolderdashians, Brenton, Ken and Chris are pictured here setting
off but according to Brenton only Ken and himself returned???Anyone can
join in, there is usually a Boldercrawl for slowies at 5.50am. You may
even be lucky enough to see dolphins too, if Shaun, the Dolphin
Whisperer works his magic!
Great seeing the changes in light as Manly wakes up. Now it’s 6.30am and
time for the early lappers who swim to Shelly and back, and off to
work. Fiona was a bit late. Here she is trying to catch the others up.
Then it’s 6.40 am and the early morning chatters, newbies and ‘Nervous
Nellies’ arrive! Dolphin Whisperer Shaun debating whether it was mullet
or duskies he saw this morning! A bit of chatter this morning as it was
our monthly dinner at Bluewater Cafe last night…
Michelle is looking a bit bleary after Bluewater last night
An assortment of people meet here, ready for their swim. There are young
and not so young, quirky and kind, politicians and plumbers, physios,
pharmacists and psychos 😉 from as far flung corners of the globe as
Dublin and Durban, Birmingham and Balgowlah, Stockholm and
Stuttgart…We are all the same in our pink caps and goggles…
We had absolutely devastating news though… Jules Isbill has put in such a lot of hard work, dedication, energy and time to make this Group what it is, so we are so sad to hear that Jules and Michael are leaving us in January as she has been offered a place to study medicine in Perth. Our smiles turned to tears as we all heard the news. Dr John made Jules cry at breaky too 🙁 but Andrew made it all better…)
Jules is passionate for B&B to keep going and remain the same, i.e. in pink and there for everyone 🙂 So come on guys, we’ve got to support Lesley, Ian F, John K, and Jenny K in keeping things running as they’re sharing the load and holding the fort until Jules and Michael return (hopefully if Jules can transfer across, in 10 months).
This daily drama is enriching the lives of so many, putting an early morning smile on so many faces! You have created something so special Jules and we thank you so much.
Today was simply beautiful. The grey skies lifted as we entered the water and there were so many fish as we swam to the point.
It was back to the Aquarium as I spotted a shovel nosed shark, catfish, crimson wrasse and old wives. (Look at our ‘Wall of fish‘ if you want to identify what you saw today.)
Jules took some great underwater shots of striped catfish, a cobbler fish, a flathead and an ocean floor dwelling human!
We challenge ourselves and others, and become bolder with each swim. Some of us have a fear of the distance, sharks or the surf but we are brave! From taking off the wetsuit, John Bond telling us to, ‘Try a double’ or Jules Isbill showing us that with grit and determination a ‘non-runner’ can run a Marathon we push ourselves out of our comfort zones and gain confidence from our swims.
One of our swimmers, Sebastian Terry, has written an inspiring book ‘100 Things to do before You Die’.
Hope you like my ’20 Reasons to Swim with The Bold and Beautiful’. Yes there are only 10 below, more to come next week!
There’s talk of a night swim happening before Christmas, maybe even with glow sticks taped to our bodies! Who remembers ‘The Ghost Train Swims’ earlier this year led by the brave Michael Christie? So exciting! We must be up for another soon!
- ‘Official’ Long distance Summer Badge swims start THIS SATURDAY 1st December ! To
kick it off you can join in either the 6km or the 10km swim, both starting at 7am
with the regular 7am swim.For all of you 6k champions, John Forster is going to lead you ! - For all of you 10k demons Mark Allan is going to lead you ! John
B, Francois and Shaun are confirmed starters for the 10km so don’t be
shy, join them and give it a go 🙂
Upcoming B&B social functions:
- B&B CHRISTMAS PARTY – A MUST FOR ALL, put it in your diary now, Wed, 12th Dec from 6.30pm upstairs in the Moonshine Bar at The Steyne Hotel ! Please RSVP here
now too. It’s Retro theme so dress up and come and boogie the night
away. It will be a great night, party food will be provided and drinks
can be purchased from behind the bar throughout the night. Don’t miss
it !
Water Temperature 21.4
Air Temperature 20.0
Sunrise 5.38am
Sunset 7.49pm
High Tide: 9.20am
Low Tide: 3.57pm
To read Michael’s tips on how to stay safe in the surf please click here
36 comments
lesley
29/11/2012 at 11:14 am
WOO HOO Well done Elaine!! Terrific Blog!!!!!!!!!! Really enjoyed it!!!
"Snorkles"
29/11/2012 at 11:32 am
WAHEY !!!!! E-Lane the Blogger!!!!!
Can’t believe you didnt mention the fact that the Blog Tarts turned up NAKED (ok,ok,ok, just without wetsuit, but you know what I mean) for the FIRST time this season JUST FOR YOU E-Lane!!!
So….the Half Way Hillbillies (HBH) were in FULL force today with a 100% increase in numbers (so that’s two then – me and James P). Get out of bed and come and join us…….just being in the water is enough to set up your day the right way!
Thank you to everyone who has given me well wishes for my steroid injection later today. May it give me the use of my arms back and I’ll be super fast in no time (either that or i’ll have a big fat muscley neck!!)
See you in the water …or at brekkie soon!
"Snorkles"
29/11/2012 at 11:40 am
PS – can we pretty please have the night swim before the 24th Dec so I can take part before I jet set off to the UK. I’ll bring some dive torches too?!
annie "Yay"
29/11/2012 at 11:42 am
Great Blog E-Lane! Didn’t realise you came from Avalon…thats serious dedication. Wish I was there today to do a post swim “YAY” with you, but in bed with migraine 🙁 next time for sure though!
Dolphin Whisperer formally known as Slowest Shaun
29/11/2012 at 12:41 pm
Well done E-Laine. 1st Blog = 10 out of 10.
A few notes –
I think we found the supplier of Roids to the Mullet – Snorks
Great work Ell-Laine getting a photo without the blog tarts photo bombing, you must have been quick. haha
I FOUND THE SMILING SWIMMER from Tuesday – Danni from JS and my Bronze training group.
She also smiles underwater too. haha – true!!!
Andrew – Can I have a hug too?,
Julez
Congratulations, you just keep doing things that amaze and inspire me.
It was only last week I pointed out the photo in the club house to JS where you won the Ausie gold medal for first aid.
“Non runner doing a marathon”
You personally have inspired me to transform myself from a “not a very good swimmer” to “not a very good swimmer attempting the 10k” haha
Mary
29/11/2012 at 1:02 pm
Opened the link in eager anticipation to read Elaine’s first blog! Great read but I did have to check the date. Surely we had slipped back to 1st April… Jules and Michael heading west. Quelle horror.
Jules, ‘thank you’ seems such a little gift in comparison for your abundant generosity. But maybe when 3500 people say it as one it will achieve the resonance that will do justice to the gift you have given all of us. And let’s not forget Michael’s truly wicked sense of humour and gentle support for us timid swimmers.
All the best for the move – as long as it is temporary 🙂
"Snorkles"
29/11/2012 at 1:06 pm
Yes – I’ll fess up – the Mullet has been whispering to me and I’ve obliged!!
I think I pulled a calf muscle trying to jump in so many shots today – without success!
Rob Byrne
29/11/2012 at 1:13 pm
Sorry I didnt make it down today Elaine (Got my hip drained yesterday and its a bit sore!) but congrats on an awesome blog!!! Your happy personality shines right through your words… 🙂
Gutted about the Jules & Michael news, but she has a great crew to keep her seat warm until her glorious return….imagine the party!
See you all tomorrow, looking forward to another beautiful start to a Friday.
Dolphin Whisperer formally known as Slowest Shaun
29/11/2012 at 1:23 pm
Is that an iron man injury Rob?
'The Lips' formerly known as Rainer
29/11/2012 at 1:30 pm
Picture perfect blog! Well done E-Laine!!
Love the early morning coverage with shots of the different groups heading out / coming back in. There’s nothing more frustrating than heading down for the 5:50 boldercrawl and having no photographic proof to show for it afterwards. 🙂
Great pictures of sea life today. Didn’t see much myself as I had serious goggle problems and squinted most of the way. As if that wasn’t enough, taking off the wetsuit made the Shelly swim feel like a 6k badge swim!! Very hard work. Didn’t enjoy it. I can’t wait for summer to be over!! 🙂
Very emotional dinner last night. Hard to imagine B&B without Jules. But we all have to be big boys and girls now and carry on. Suggest we bring a laptop down to Bluewater for the first few weeks so that Jules and Michael can join coffee via Skype. Both told me they have a keen interest in getting regular updates on the recovery of my lip..
Group hug!
'The Lips' formerly known as Rainer
29/11/2012 at 1:32 pm
Did Rob do an ironman? No way…
'The Lips' formerly known as Rainer
29/11/2012 at 1:35 pm
I know Snorkles!! What’s with all those blog tart shots that didnt make the final cut??
Let’s corner E-Laine at brekkie on the weekend. Hmm, should we go for bribery or intimidation..
michsparkes@gmail.com
29/11/2012 at 1:41 pm
unreal blog elaine…your lovely personality shines through! Devestated at news of Jules departure…but believing a little action from some of her B&B buddies may persuade (fingers, toes and eyes crossed) the powers that be…to let her study in Sydney instead of Perth….watch this space
michsparkes@gmail.com
29/11/2012 at 1:46 pm
PS..Sorry Michael, devestation includes loss of YOU too! Just being a girlie girl and shedding lottsa tears with you know who!! PS. If any tech-heads can tell me why my email address and not my name turns up…how to reverse this…I’d be grateful 🙂
E-lane
29/11/2012 at 1:52 pm
Thank you everyone for your kind words. I found it hard I must admit so I have lots of admiration for Jules, Lesley and Robbie who do it so easily. So sorry your lovely photo bombing shots got cut Rainer and Snorkles but time was running out and I had to leave some room for some fish! And I almost mentioned your nudity in the title but changed it!
Night Swim definitely on before you go Snorkles. I think we said 21st December, around time of Summer solstice and Michael’s birthday!
Gutted about Jules and Michael but the show must go on!
alyson
29/11/2012 at 2:13 pm
AWESOME blog Elaine!!! just brilliant – so who turned up naked then???? 😉 my eyes nearly fell out of my head when I read about Jules – Super excited for you Jules, congratulations, but are you really sure you want to leave this beautiful marine reserve and all your pink capped friends??? we will miss you sooo much!!!!
alyson
29/11/2012 at 2:14 pm
I would love to do a night swim with everyone! – Just another wonderful point to add to your fabulously animated top 20 reasons to swim with the B&B. LOVE IT!!! and yes, your loevly personality did shine through – another joy to add to a wonderful morning swim 🙂
alyson
29/11/2012 at 2:19 pm
(after thought for Jules) Well, I am sure you will soon be sporting B&B pink caps with PERTH branded on them and a whole new national team will evolve!!! Just watch those sharks on the west coast though! Although according to the shark report Michael posted on FB the other day, the whole dawn and Dusk rationale is an old wives tale. OH JULES – SO SAD TO SEE YOU GO!!! 🙁
fifi
29/11/2012 at 2:21 pm
…PERTH???….
John S
29/11/2012 at 2:33 pm
E-lane
Wonderful blog.
Your effervescence and positive outlook always inspire me.
Ted you are one lucky man!
Mary
29/11/2012 at 2:34 pm
Oh December 21 is also the day the world is supposed to end – it could be a triple treat swim…
John S
29/11/2012 at 2:36 pm
Well…………..
What a day to miss.
Mixed emotions
Jules and Michael, Thank you
François Pradel
29/11/2012 at 4:26 pm
Hi all, I have been missing B&B a lot these last two weeks (holiday with family visiting from France, now really busy packing for New-Zealand).
I am just catching up on the blog (great entry Elaine) with news of Jules and Michael leaving soon… Thank you so much for the wonderful community effort you have created! I may well be back in Manly one day, and B&B is one of the reasons I would want to live here a little longer.
I am a bit scared to be in the line up for the 10km, having not swam for so long but I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I? 😉
Michael [EX CI]
29/11/2012 at 4:41 pm
I think a night swim with glow sticks would be great!!
No more heroic than the ‘Ghost Trains’.
The ideal date would be the night of the 20th December.
The world ends the next day so there won’t be a night of the 21st to do it.
Also the next day is the summer solstice, so the longest day till Gotterdamerong.
lesley
29/11/2012 at 5:04 pm
um…Michelle – maybe you not good person to blog after all!??! hahahaha 😀 Not sure where you ‘Comment’ from? The Blog itself or Facebook? If it’s from the blog itself – your name goes in the first space and your email in the second space (nothing in the last).
Brendan Maher
29/11/2012 at 5:11 pm
Isn’t the world ending on your 70th birthday Michael?
PS Gotterdamerong ??? Is that a Rammstein album?
John S
29/11/2012 at 5:15 pm
Yeh Fifi, its on the west coast of Australia…………..
😉
Miles
29/11/2012 at 5:19 pm
Jules you’ll be back in 10 months? That doesn’t sound like very long to train to be a doctor…? Not sure I want you operating on me (although I might make an exception and let you practise therapeutic massage and some of the urology procedures that don’t involve sharp instuments).
Sorry to hear you’re going love, you’ll be hugely missed.
gianino.saralauren@gmail.com
29/11/2012 at 5:39 pm
WHAT A WONDERFUL BLOG, ELAINE! I ENJOYED IT! 🙂 VERY ENGAGING! 🙂
Jules
29/11/2012 at 6:01 pm
Well done E Laine it was a great read! Loving the 20 reasons why 🙂 oh and of course the photo of Shaz , Miles and I ! Jokes….. So when is this night swim I’m getting impatient!
Slow Ian
29/11/2012 at 6:02 pm
Loved your 10 reasons for swimming, but… “you can cry and nobody notices”? Surely the goggles would fill up with tears?
I have also noticed warm patches on occasion, but your secret is safe with me.
Little Sarah Abbott
29/11/2012 at 6:19 pm
E-lane – star blog! Amazing striped fish and I’m sure, Jules, that it’ll just seem like a long, busy holiday:-) Best wishes for your studies.
"Snorkles"
29/11/2012 at 10:35 pm
Cute Robbie and ironman ? no way!!!
"Snorkles"
29/11/2012 at 10:36 pm
What’s that Lips – you are sad that everyone has forgotten you had an injury???
"Snorkles"
29/11/2012 at 10:38 pm
Yes – back on the blog spreddy Jules ! Goood to see you at the normal barking mad time of 7am, not the super impressive half way through the night those 6.30am’ers carry on with! heeeheee – it will only be a matter of time before I join Dolphin Whisperer
John C. Barrett
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