The swim club with coffee at its heart

Published Date
03/06/2021
News Topic
Council, Sport, Seniors
Coffee club

If you drop by DRLC on a Tuesday or Thursday morning around 8am, you’re likely to see a group of people in the outdoor pool swimming laps and getting coached from the side. You’d be forgiven for thinking they were in training for an upcoming swim competition. Stroke correction, lap counting, and bilateral breathing is all taking place. The one difference? They’re in it for the coffee.

In the early nineties, Des Renford started this group, known as the Coffee Club. Des was encouraged by Terry Buck, the licensee and coach at the pool at the time. Terry could see there was an opportunity to create a swimming club for all – something to help guide casual swimmers and help create community.

Des wasn’t so sure but he decided to give it a go. After the very first club meeting, when only one swimmer showed up, Des was going to throw in the towel, but Terry encouraged him to keep going. It wasn’t long before the club gained momentum, at one point having between 60 and 70 swimmers. Not everyone shows up at the same time, thankfully, and Des\ was always recruiting new members.

When Des passed away in 1999, the club was taken over by Des’s long time good mate, Patrick Manning. Pat was equally committed to the club – he was there to coach, encourage and cheer along his swimmers and he, too, was always looking for new recruits. Beware the silver-haired swimmer enjoying a few quiet laps on their own. Pat would suggest a drop-in visit to the Coffee Club to whoever he thought could be swayed. Pat was a much-loved coach and mentor and he ran the club for 20 years, until he passed away in January 2020. The grandstand at the indoor pool has been named in his honour.

Today the club is still going, and it is now proudly run by members of the DRLC staff. The concept is the same. Drop in for a swim, receive some coaching advice while you swim, swim at your own pace, then join your fellow swimmers for what is perhaps the most important part of the day – a cuppa and a chat. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Come along!

If you think there’s something brewing here, we encourage you to come along and give the Coffee Club a try. It is open for all, no matter your ability. Just drop in.

Where
DRLC, Corner Robey Street and
Jersey Road, Maroubra

When
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8am – 9am

Cost per visit
$10/$8.50 Concession

Coffee club

Coffee club

Coffee club

Last Updated: 1 March 2022
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