Swimmers Brianna Ozies, Brendan Moore and Tiffany Ugle.
Camera IconSwimmers Brianna Ozies, Brendan Moore and Tiffany Ugle. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie

Swim team given expert advice

Staff ReporterWestern Suburbs Weekly

Vinka was inspired to take on the 19.7km swim after her boyfriend’s niece drowned in November last year.

‘The grieving process was quite hard,’ Vinka said.

Vinka will be swimming as member of the Nyoongar Sports Association (NSA) team with Brianna Ozies (18), Dennis Simmons (43), Brendan Moore (43) and Tiffany Ugle (24) in the first entirely indigenous team to do the swim.

On January 16, the NSA swim team trained at Scotch College with international swimmers from the Aquatic Super Series.

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Olympians Libby Trickett, Petria Thomas and Andrew Lauterstein, and Australian water polo players Mel Rippon, Rowena Webster and Kate Hooper gave the teams advice for the swim.

Vinka said she was a bit star-struck when she met the Olympians, having watched the Games for many years.

‘I turned into a bit of a fan when the swimmers came,’ Vinka said.