Swimmers still train in winter

Woogaroo Swim Club nippers Krystle Clarke and Sophie Greenall feel the chill of the winter weather when they start training at 5.30am.

Claudia Baxter

WHEN June comes around in Ipswich and the minimum temperatures start to get down around the zero mark, many of us will struggle with seemingly mundane tasks like going outside to get the paper.

But throughout the winter months – probably before you’ve awoken from your climate controlled, electric blanket-aided slumber – a tougher breed of human being has sprung out of bed, jumped into a pair of Speedos and knocked a few seconds off their PB.

The kids at Goodna-based Woogaroo Swimming Club begin training at 5.30am throughout the year, including those freezing cold mornings in June and July where the prospect of taking a dip is probably the worst form of motivation for getting out of bed. Although the Goodna swimming pool is heated to a luke warm 27 degrees, up and coming swimmer Krystle Clarke, 16, said she still dreaded facing those bitter mornings.

“The worst part of it is just before you get in the water – you have to just convince yourself to get in,” she said.

“It can be challenging but when you enjoy something you just do it, no matter how cold it is.”

Relief is on the way for those who struggle in the cold, with Bureau of Meteorology weather forecaster Michelle Berry predicting a south-easterly change later today.

The change will also bring cloudy conditions and the chance of rain on Thursday and Friday.

“Ipswich can expect a minimum of five degrees (Tuesday) morning, which will be the coldest minimum for the week,” Ms Berry said.

“There should be enough wind and cloud cover to prevent frosts from developing at Ipswich at this stage.”

Ipswich people can expect maximum temperatures of 22 to 23 degrees for the rest of the week, with minimums around the eight degree mark.

Long-term, the Bureau of Meteorology says there is a 65 per cent chance of south-east Queensland experiencing a warmer than average winter this year – based on sea surface temperatures on the Indian and Pacific oceans.