Community & Business
6 June, 2023
Braving icy conditions for better health
TWO friends who swim in Lake Eacham every morning have braved the cold to herald the start of winter.
Tony Rees and Jim Petrich are the last members of the Gentlemen’s Swimming Club and have been meeting up at the lake every day in the early morning for the past decade, and when winter comes, the pair have celebrated it “out of respect for the lake”, putting blocks of ice into the lake for a bit of fun.
Tony, who is 79, and his 74-year-old mate say swimming every day is a great way to improve your health but also serves as a time to catch up while they are there and talk over the world’s problems.
“We used to swim across the lake and then back again but now we go about halfway and while we’re out there we discuss the world’s problems – when we get back to the shore, people often say they can hear what we were talking about,” Tony joked.
According to Tony, despite the cold temperatures, the lake’s water remains relatively warm.
“It was 22 degrees the other day so it’s warmer in the water than out,” he said.
“Even in the midst of winter, the water will get to about 17 degrees but if you have a sunny day be-forehand, the first two feet of the water will still be warm.”
The two veteran swimmers are also not scared of the freshwater croc that has been causing concern amongst some lake users.
“He’s no problem – he keeps the lake clear of dead fish,” he said.
“We say hello to him and sometimes he swims along with us.”
