Swimmers with a passion
The Blackfin Swimming Club has been active in Springs for over 40 years and is not quitting any time soon.
Gordon Cumming, who was a Springbok athlete in three different sports as well as South African Sportsman of the Year, decided to start one of the first professional swimming schools in South Africa.
This was a time when huge galas took place between the mine’s swimming clubs, but there was not a lot of professional coaching for them.
“My dad started the club at Selection Park pool,” says Gordon’s son Clayton, who took over the business from his parents in 1999.
As he wanted it to be accessible for people from Nigel and Springs, he moved it to Dunnottar in 1975.
“This was just a veld before the club moved here and my father transformed it into one of the first heated pools in South Africa,” says Clayton about the club’s current home.
The club produced national champions in swimming and lifesaving throughout the years, with Heather Park, who represented SA internationally, being the greatest swimmer produced from the club.
The club trains swimmers from any age.
“My mom trains children from about two years old and my oldest swimmer is about 70, so we train anyone,” says Clayton.
Blackfin’s swimmers takes part in many competitions, with a lot of their swimmers entering the Midmar Mile every year.
“Every year we probably have between 20 and 40 of our swimmers going,” he says, adding that he has had swimmers in the top 10 at Midmar, but so far, none at number one. Clayton says competitive swimming is a year-long sport which peaks in March.
“So we start building up now, in August and September for when the big galas and national competitions start in March. Our swimmers aim to push themselves for those swims,” Clayton explains.
Training at the peak of the season can be up to 10 or 11 training sessions a week, at about two hours per session, as well as being involved in gym programmes.
“To grow a swimmer to compete at national level is a long process, so we start them as children and as soon as they are competent, from around the age of 10, we start to mould them. When they get to around the age of 18, they are usually reaching their best levels,” he says.
Blackfin has been one of the best clubs on the East Rand for years and has even had praise from Springs-born Olympic gold medalist Penny Heyns, who used to visit the club in the 1990s, and it looks to continue the high standard of swimming set by the swimmers’ and coaches’ dedication to the club.
