Elizabeth Eppen Van Der Aa, Olivia Payne, Anthony Eppen Van Der Aa and Lexcen King practise their swimming.
Camera IconElizabeth Eppen Van Der Aa, Olivia Payne, Anthony Eppen Van Der Aa and Lexcen King practise their swimming. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

No Payne, no gain: family turns up training for Busselton Jetty Swim

Jill BurgessMandurah Coastal Times

With a combined age of just 38 years, the Mandurah-based Team Leagues are not only some of the youngest competitors, but are all first-timers in the 22-year-old swim.

Anna Payne said younger daughter Olivia was inspired by her older sister who competed in the 2016 Busselton Jetty Swim.

“After seeing how much fun her older sister had competing earlier this year, 10-year-old Olivia and friends Lexcen King, Anthony Eppen Van Der Aa, and Elizabeth Eppen Van Der Aa desperately wanted to enter the 2017 event,’’ she said.

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“She and her team mates are very committed to their training, receiving expert coaching three times a week at Go Swimming under head coach Scott Turner.”

They are excited to be swimming in their first Busselton Jetty Swim and are simply aiming at completing the challenging 3.6km course.

All four have their sights set on registering for the solo swim in 2019, just reaching the minimum age people are eligible to enter the solo swim category.

For swimmers not quite ready to take on the 3.6km jetty swim, event organisers will launch a 222-metre Busselton Jetty Kids Swim around the smaller jetty next year.

“We want to encourage more children to enjoy open water swimming and participate with other family members in what is a family focused event,” Busselton Allsports Incorporated president Max Higgins said.