Sheralee Menz recounts youthful swims narrated by discipline and punctuated by Bush Biscuits. The laps of the past are still paying off today.
Almanac Books: Books in my life – A reluctance to read
November 14, 2025 by 14 Comments
Barry Nicholls was invited to speak to The Friends of the State Library of South Australia to talk about influential books in his life. Here is the speech he gave on Tuesday November 4 at the Hetzel Lecture Theatre.
Almanac (Swimming) Poetry: Old blokes in black budgie smugglers
June 17, 2025 by 9 Comments
Campbell Bairstow explores the mind, body and soul of swimming laps in a poem he recited to great acclaim at the Poets’ Lunch last Friday. This poem was first published on the Footy Almanac site in 2021.
Almanac Swimming: Shark Bait Swimming in Australia
June 3, 2025 by 1 Comment
Col Ritchie and his good mate Tony Forbes feature in an English swimming podcast that features highlighted ocean swims in Australia.
Almanac Swimming: 65 swims to celebrate a 65th birthday!
January 28, 2025 by 3 Comments
To celebrate his 65th birthday, Stanley Ulijaszek challenged himself to 65 swims over twelve months and recounts them in his book, ‘Memories Like Water: Sixty Five Swims At Sixty Five Years Of Age’.
Almanac Swimming: More Lorne Pier to Pub – Shark bait!
January 17, 2025 by 1 Comment
Col Ritchie remembers the time he and his mate Tony Forbes were shark bait during a swim at Lorne.
Almanac Swimming: Lorne Pier to Pub 2025 – Number 26!
January 14, 2025 by 15 Comments
Col Ritchie completes his 26th finish in the Lorne Pier to Pub ocean swim and presents his account of the 2025 swim.
Almanac Life: Last swim
April 12, 2024 by 11 Comments
Mickey considers ‘firsts’ and ‘lasts’ in life but, in particular, how they apply to swimming at the beach in summer.
Almanac Swimming: Post Pier to Pub 2024 Reflections
January 16, 2024 by 15 Comments
The Pier to Pub 2024 is over and Col Ritchie reflects upon his satisfying swim.
Almanac Swimming: Pier to Pub 2024
January 9, 2024 by 16 Comments
Col Ritchie presents a few thoughts as he prepares for his 23rd Lorne Pier to Pub swim on Saturday.
Almanac Swimming: Pier to Pub 2023 – Postscript
January 17, 2023 by 10 Comments
Col reflects on his performance and insights of this year’s Pier to Pub he participated in last Saturday.
Almanac Swimming: Pier to Pub 2023
January 13, 2023 by 7 Comments
It’s the annual Lorne Pier to Pub ocean swim this Saturday and Col presents some thoughts in his lead up to the swim.
Special Olympics – Swimming: Please Let Me Win
September 8, 2021 by 25 Comments
With the Paralympics own it’s timely to return to an Almanac Classic…
Kate’s sporting kite crashed at the Special Olympics Victorian State Games on Saturday, but Dips helping out at the games, says, his daughter can learn from her experience and recover from her loss to once again fly her kite high. [If you do nothing else today, read this – JTH]
Almanac (Swimming) Poetry: The Slow Lane
March 19, 2021 by 3 Comments
Campbell Bairstow has moved to the slow lane of the pool it seems. Willingly? Happily?
Almanac Life: First Swim
November 13, 2020 by 9 Comments
The day was hot, so it’s time for the togs and the first swim of the season as Mickey Randall explains.
Should parents get their children into swimming lessons from a young age?
April 6, 2020 by 1 Comment
An in-depth look at the merits of teaching swimming at an early age for survival reasons from Shannon Cole.
Almanac Flashback – Pier to Pub 2019: Murray won’t be home tonight
January 10, 2020 by 13 Comments
From the archives: A tragic day at Pier to Pub 2019.
The Life of a Swimming Teacher: My Experience Throughout my First Year of Teaching
September 12, 2019 by 6 Comments
Shannon Cole shares her experiences of becoming a swimming teacher, developing relationships with her students, and the pleasure she receives in fulfilling her role.
Almanac Swimming: Kate O’Donnell wins gold!
August 29, 2019 by 18 Comments
We have a swimming champ in the Almanac family. Kate O’Donnell performed brilliantly at the DSSA National Swimming Championships on the weekend and her proud dad Dips O’Donnell has passed on Coach Tracey Drewitt’s report.
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