The Swimming WA Open Water Swimming (OWS) Series is the largest series of the OWS events in Australia. The OWS Series has become an icon of the Western Australian sporting calendar, attracting amateur and professional swimmers from age nine to ninety-nine. The series includes 11 events conducted across Perth and regional WA from October to March. Three of the events have the 10km qualifier distance for the Rottnest Channel and the Port to Pub events.
Sue, competing in her age group, took part in 8 of the 11 events. She won 3 gold in the 10km races, as well 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in 5km races. This resulted in an overall second place in her age category for the entire 2020/2021 series, only 25 points out of 2500 points behind the overall winner. She would have won the series had she had swum one more event.
This not being sufficient, Sue then swam in the world-famous Rottnest Channel Swim as a solo athlete on 20 February 2021. (Most swimmers swim in teams of two or four) The race is 19.7km long from Cottesloe to Rottnest. She finished in 8:11:11 – 2nd in her age category.
If that wasn’t enough, 28 days later on 20 March 2021, Sue participated in another 19.7km swim from Fremantle to Rottnest, the Port to Pub Event swimming solo again. She finished in 8:10:02 – 2nd in age category once again. Only a handful of swimmers have managed the Rottnest Channel Swim and Port to Pub in the same swimming season.
She managed a top three placing in 13 open water swimming events ranging in length from 5km to 19.7 km. What a champion!!! She has to be the leading candidate for WA Maccabi Sportsperson of the year.
Sue’s 2022 Goals are as follows
• Complete the 2022 Solo Rottnest or Port to Pub Channel swim in less than 7 hours
• Qualify for the 2022 Maccabi Games to compete in the pool and open water events