Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Pimlico Puffins Annual Gala on Sunday the 31st of October! We are pleased to share that WeSwim has also participated in this edition, with six volunteers and one swimmer joining. It was an extra special gala as Pimlico Puffins were celebrating their 40th birthday.
Competing Against Your Personal Best
Every year, Pimlico Puffins hosts a gala in which swimmers have a chance to compete against other clubs. It is a friendly environment where participants can compete inclusively. Instead of having a contest against each other, the swimmers submit a time in advance. It means that the winner will not be the one that manages to finish the distance the fastest, but it is the one that can match their pre-submitted time the closest. Each lane has individual timers, and the winners were awarded trophies at the end.
WeSwim at the Annual Gala
Our club has participated in its first-ever gala this year, joining Pimlico Puffins, Barking Beavers and Halliwick Penguins in the races. Our volunteers Sujata and Enrique were keeping the time using stopwatches to help time the races. As each swimmer competes against their own pre-recorded time, the contribution of each volunteer was crucial. The big smiles on their faces show the excitement of the day.
Adrienne won silver in the ladies one length, against very tough competition from other clubs. She did brilliantly for her first gala, given that she had to compete in an entirely unfamiliar environment compared to her usual practice swimming pool. Diving is an additional competition on the day, with competitors scored on technique and x-factor, and it tends to be highly appreciated by both the divers and the spectators. All the divers did really well, as it can be nerve-wracking standing in front of all the other competitors and spectators.
The final race, the helper’s relay, is probably the most competitive of the races, and it involves all the volunteers who helped the swimmers. Four of our volunteers stepped up to the challenge, namely Enrique, Emily, Tim and Bek. It was a very tight race, with WeSwim taking the gold by 1.5 seconds. A huge congratulations to them, as well as to all the participants! If you would like to feel immersed in the event, you can check out the brilliant Instagram story created by Meena, which gives you a good feel of the day. The gala means a lot to all the swimmers who take part. They are delighted when collecting their medals and having photos taken.
A Memorable Day Together
Following a memorable day, both swimmers and volunteers have had a wonderful time participating. Big thanks to Pimlico Puffins for organising such a fantastic event. A lot of hard work goes into it, and they make everyone feel welcome and have fun. The nature of the gala is to bring people together to compete on equal footing against their own personal best selves and have a great time whilst doing it.
