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School carnival time is a joy for kids
The swimming carnival,
much more than a blue, red or green ribbon By Justin Scarr Justin Scarr is the CEO of the Royal Life Saving Society Australia. Here he recalls the joy of swimming carnivals.
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fter the past two years, many of us were hoping for a more normal summer. A return to usual patterns of life. School is now back. Like most families we are juggling rapid antigen tests, receiving school covid-19 case reports, and hoping our son’s Year 12 is not like the Class of 2020 or 2021. The beginning of the school year is usually school swimming carnival season. It gives me flashbacks to Wentworthville Pool, in all its concrete and grassy hill glory. It was a classic 1950s community swimming pool (since upgraded). Our carnival was no different to those of communities in suburbs across Australia.
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A day off class, a bag full of lollies, sunburn, houses cheering and parents volunteering as timekeepers. For the two or three kids in each grade who were squad swimmers it was serious business. For the rest of us, the highlight was free time swimming, novelty events or the teachers’ race. I can’t remember too many kids sitting on the sidelines – our school had annual lessons. But then I was focused on beating Jason and Todd – the two kids in my grade who trained daily and wore speedos. I have a box of ribbons, all green, to prove defeat, although I was the best of the kids in boardies, with no squad training and mostly government-funded school and vacation lessons.