September 6, 2024 • 5 mins
If you fancy yourself an artistic swimmer or are interested in giving it a go, Canterbury Artistic Swimming could have an opportunity for you.
Senior Coach Kylie McEwen joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat about how people could become the next “mermaid and/or merman”.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Leslie, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Oh oh good, we're loving your story. Tell us what you.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Do well, Luzzi. About a year ago now, we started
a master's group out of our Canterbury Artistics Swimming Club,
established ourselves at at Tyora Q two and we reached
out to the surrounding community letting them know we were
looking for mermaids and murmuring to come and dip their
toe and try artistic swimming. We've had an amazing result
(00:24):
in communities at the time for about four people and
we've grown that in the last year to eleven. It's
just it's a mod pod of wonderful people making a
real social connection at the pool. So we start off
with a bit of a stretch session and then we
pile into the pool to a couple of laps to
warm up, and then were led by our coach with
Tisha Hart on some of the basics of synchronized swimming,
(00:46):
and that's really thinking about where your body is in
the water, extension, sculling on your back egg beata, and
then as we develop those beginner skills, moving into much
more difficult getting upside down and sticking your legs in
the air style thing. But as a group. We also
focus on making patterns in the water and being moving
(01:07):
elegant group to music routines.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So what do you call yourself? Mermaids and move man's.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Oh that was absolutely to attract as many people as
we could and make it really accessible to both ages
and genders. And we'll really we differ candory Masters at
the moment, and that's quite a title to hold.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I love it. Apart from that, the social element, which
I'm interested in as well, because in the end, you
know when you're getting onto Master's age group and things
like that becomes such an important part.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
It really does. Supporting active lifestyles for any age group
so valuable, and we're really wanting to inspire our adults
to embrace active and artistic It's really it's a good
way to earn your cheese and crackers for the weekend
by popping down on a Friday night.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I love it. That is so good. So in terms
of experience, you all you have to be able to
do is to swim.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, look, we do get the bottom of the pool
pushed down to two meters, so being able to swim
confidantly for twenty five meters as ideal, but we have
a range of beginners and it's new for so long.
Do you know what I mean? It's this is out
of comfort zone, push the limits, try something new for
a lot of people, and we support you through that
(02:23):
one hundred percent. We've got a range of the masters now,
some beginners and some that have had experienced in the
use as well.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
What do you mean when you said you push the
pool down?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Oh, the floor at tile or pool qu two drops
from one point three meters down to two meters. I
believe it's on hydraulics. Wow, so we'd get nice and
deep so that there's no rescue bump in your head
when we have a couple of upside down activities.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Oh, I never knew that. Well, that's always interesting, isn't
it to find out any facts about our facilities around
the city. How cool?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Well that if it's sam for yourself, if you came
down to the pool on Friday night.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Friday nights, well, that's very affective. Is there anything I'll
we need to know about your group? All the barriers
that you've broken.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, so this is definitely something we're really proud of.
After puddling along for that first year and just learning
the basics and the skills. We've got a few more
members at the beginning of this year who really got
into it and said, why don't we turn this into
something We should be going to these championships as well.
So we made a goal to attend the South Island
Championships and that required that we complete a three minute routine.
(03:26):
This is where it really gets out of your comfort zone.
We travel together as a team. You know, we're looking
like the rest of the club. We've got the kit on,
that sort of thing, and then it's showtime. We've got
togs on our hair and gelatine. This is standing pool
side and then walking on to an audience, a large
(03:47):
number of judges and having the music start. And this
is our moment to shine and put together everything we've
done for the last six months and show them our best.
And we did that and as we were the first
competitors at a master's level at the regional event, we
were the only so we took away a gold medal.
We made our coach incredibly proud, and we made ourselves
(04:10):
incredibly We're just so proud of ourselves for achieving that.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
All shapes and sizes right.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
But tell you what, when you're concentrating on I've got
account to this music. I've now us thrown my leags around,
point to toes, not look at them and hold my brief.
You really don't worry about any of those shapes advisors.
You're busy during your active and elegant best.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Oh sounds great. Oh that's brilliant.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
If you're having a trial, you come down to the pool,
no charge at the desk, no charge from usk and
have a session. We'll let you borrow a nose click
and we'll get you upstate with some of those first skill.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Sets, because we all do. Remember Eva Morris and Nina
Brown who were at the Olympics, the Paris Olympics for
New Zealand. Who did there? Got I think two personal bests,
didn't they? In so far swimming and artistic swimming.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
They were absolutely stunning to watch. I was up at
five am watching them and just really really proud to say,
what our masters don't look too far from that? If
you squint, ha ha oh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
This is so good all right, So if people can't
get down Friday night this week, can you give us
a contact number please?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
You've called myself. I'm Kylie McEwen on zero two two
one five seven five five four zero. Set you up
with all the details and come to join us, or.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Just turn up six point thirty on a Friday night
at Wyhorda The which's Q two Paul, great, wonderful, Well,
good on you. That's all I can say. Love the
Mermaids and Mormans and we will see what happens from here.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Terriffic. Thank you lady.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IR Radio
Leslie, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Oh oh good, we're loving your story. Tell us what you.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Do well, Luzzi. About a year ago now, we started
a master's group out of our Canterbury Artistics Swimming Club,
established ourselves at at Tyora Q two and we reached
out to the surrounding community letting them know we were
looking for mermaids and murmuring to come and dip their
toe and try artistic swimming. We've had an amazing result
(00:24):
in communities at the time for about four people and
we've grown that in the last year to eleven. It's
just it's a mod pod of wonderful people making a
real social connection at the pool. So we start off
with a bit of a stretch session and then we
pile into the pool to a couple of laps to
warm up, and then were led by our coach with
Tisha Hart on some of the basics of synchronized swimming,
(00:46):
and that's really thinking about where your body is in
the water, extension, sculling on your back egg beata, and
then as we develop those beginner skills, moving into much
more difficult getting upside down and sticking your legs in
the air style thing. But as a group. We also
focus on making patterns in the water and being moving
(01:07):
elegant group to music routines.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So what do you call yourself? Mermaids and move man's.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Oh that was absolutely to attract as many people as
we could and make it really accessible to both ages
and genders. And we'll really we differ candory Masters at
the moment, and that's quite a title to hold.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I love it. Apart from that, the social element, which
I'm interested in as well, because in the end, you
know when you're getting onto Master's age group and things
like that becomes such an important part.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
It really does. Supporting active lifestyles for any age group
so valuable, and we're really wanting to inspire our adults
to embrace active and artistic It's really it's a good
way to earn your cheese and crackers for the weekend
by popping down on a Friday night.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I love it. That is so good. So in terms
of experience, you all you have to be able to
do is to swim.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, look, we do get the bottom of the pool
pushed down to two meters, so being able to swim
confidantly for twenty five meters as ideal, but we have
a range of beginners and it's new for so long.
Do you know what I mean? It's this is out
of comfort zone, push the limits, try something new for
a lot of people, and we support you through that
(02:23):
one hundred percent. We've got a range of the masters now,
some beginners and some that have had experienced in the
use as well.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
What do you mean when you said you push the
pool down?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Oh, the floor at tile or pool qu two drops
from one point three meters down to two meters. I
believe it's on hydraulics. Wow, so we'd get nice and
deep so that there's no rescue bump in your head
when we have a couple of upside down activities.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Oh, I never knew that. Well, that's always interesting, isn't
it to find out any facts about our facilities around
the city. How cool?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Well that if it's sam for yourself, if you came
down to the pool on Friday night.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Friday nights, well, that's very affective. Is there anything I'll
we need to know about your group? All the barriers
that you've broken.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, so this is definitely something we're really proud of.
After puddling along for that first year and just learning
the basics and the skills. We've got a few more
members at the beginning of this year who really got
into it and said, why don't we turn this into
something We should be going to these championships as well.
So we made a goal to attend the South Island
Championships and that required that we complete a three minute routine.
(03:26):
This is where it really gets out of your comfort zone.
We travel together as a team. You know, we're looking
like the rest of the club. We've got the kit on,
that sort of thing, and then it's showtime. We've got
togs on our hair and gelatine. This is standing pool
side and then walking on to an audience, a large
(03:47):
number of judges and having the music start. And this
is our moment to shine and put together everything we've
done for the last six months and show them our best.
And we did that and as we were the first
competitors at a master's level at the regional event, we
were the only so we took away a gold medal.
We made our coach incredibly proud, and we made ourselves
(04:10):
incredibly We're just so proud of ourselves for achieving that.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
All shapes and sizes right.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
But tell you what, when you're concentrating on I've got
account to this music. I've now us thrown my leags around,
point to toes, not look at them and hold my brief.
You really don't worry about any of those shapes advisors.
You're busy during your active and elegant best.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Oh sounds great. Oh that's brilliant.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
If you're having a trial, you come down to the pool,
no charge at the desk, no charge from usk and
have a session. We'll let you borrow a nose click
and we'll get you upstate with some of those first skill.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Sets, because we all do. Remember Eva Morris and Nina
Brown who were at the Olympics, the Paris Olympics for
New Zealand. Who did there? Got I think two personal bests,
didn't they? In so far swimming and artistic swimming.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
They were absolutely stunning to watch. I was up at
five am watching them and just really really proud to say,
what our masters don't look too far from that? If
you squint, ha ha oh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
This is so good all right, So if people can't
get down Friday night this week, can you give us
a contact number please?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
You've called myself. I'm Kylie McEwen on zero two two
one five seven five five four zero. Set you up
with all the details and come to join us, or.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Just turn up six point thirty on a Friday night
at Wyhorda The which's Q two Paul, great, wonderful, Well,
good on you. That's all I can say. Love the
Mermaids and Mormans and we will see what happens from here.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Terriffic. Thank you lady.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IR Radio
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