IN a family-minded community like Rosewood, seeing kids learning and smiling can be far more important than achieving higher competition glory.
That’s exactly how Rosewood Rays Swim Club official Linda Boughton measures success.
While she gains satisfaction watching young swimmers qualify for Met West and Queensland teams, Boughton knows what is more valuable in clubs like the Rays.
“It’s all for the kids,” she said. “It doesn’t matter whether they are state level swimmers or they’re backyard swimmers.”
She cites an example of enjoyment gained from swimming development and overcoming any early fears.
“For somebody that doesn’t like it, all of a sudden they have got confidence and are so happy to come every week,” Boughton said. “And they can’t wait to get in the water.
“It’s the smiles on their faces. They really do love it.”
Linda and her husband Matthew Wright – the club president, coach and a firefighter – have strong family ties to the Rays.
Their daughters Bronte and Abbey have competed on past Met West and Queensland teams.
Bronte has contested Australian titles in breaststroke and shared in the 2019 Queensland 4x50m freestyle relay team’s bronze medal success.
Bronte was a previous Len Franklin Award winner at the club.
Late starter Abbey is making zone teams even though she has just started squad training.
Sharing in family development at the club keeps Linda and Matthew most engaged.
“This is why we do it,” Linda said. “It’s only for the kids.”
The Rays are based at the Rosewood Aquatic Centre where a 25m pool allows swimmers to learn and race at Wednesday night club meets.
The club has a proud history dating back to the 1920s where swimming has held at Keane’s Lagoon. At that stage it was called the Rosewood Amateur Swimming Club.
In a report about the club’s seventh annual carnival, the water was described as “rather heavy” due to recent flooding.
A race between Rosewood and Ipswich officials was said to be “very interesting”.
Decades later, Linda said Covid had a dramatic impact on people wanting to commit for shorter seasons.
“The biggest challenge is [growing] numbers and volunteers are really hard to get,” Linda said. “But if we don’t have them, the club won’t exist and then these kids here have nothing.
“These small country towns, they lose a lot of these clubs and this is where I’m not gauging success on how many swimmers we have to go states [Queensland championships]. I’m gauging success on how many kids can’t swim a full lap [at the start] but by the end of it, they’re going: ‘I don’t need a helper. I want to do it myself’ and those that don’t want to do races but come to love it.”
Other committee members joining administrator Linda and president Matthew are vice-president Shane Blake, secretary Rebecca McKeown, treasurer Lea-Anne Touwen and race secretary Alycia Goodger. Elizabeth Turner and her husband Brendan are ac-tive helpers on club nights.
The Rosewood Rays are affiliated with the Brisbane Swimming Association and Swimming Queensland, providing higher level competition for the better club competitors.
With the latest club season finishing in March, the focus switches to school swimming where teenagers can strive to represent Met West – or as Linda appreciates, keep smiling.
