BAY island swimmers collected three gold medals at a state championships on the Sunshine Coast.
Three swimmers from the small club - Damon Kendrick, 62 Peter Adams, 70 and Ngarita Kahi, 56 won six medals at the Masters Swimming Queensland State Championship.
The event, held at the Kawana Aquatic Centre across three days, from April 9-11, saw members of the Bay Islands Aqua group swim as part of the Redlands Bayside Masters Swim Club team.
Kendrick, from Russell Island, came first in the 800m freestyle multi-disability, and the 400m freestyle multi-disability. He also broke the Queensland 800m freestyle record for the 60-64 year old age group,
Adams also from Russell Island, came first in the 4x50m medley relay 280+ year old age group - where all four swimmers were over the age of 70. The team broke the record for the 4x50m medley relay 280+ year old age group.
Adams went on to get the silver medal in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay 280+ year old age group.
Kahi, another Russell Island swimmer, won the silver medal for the 50m breastroke 55-59 age group, and bronze in the 200m breaststroke 55-59 age group.
Norah McParlane from the Bay Islands Aqua group said swimming, and other pool activities, had become an essential part of helping the older residents of the SMBI stay healthy.
"More than 44 per cent of the islands' population are aged 60 or over, and enabling an active lifestyle generates direct economic value for the state," she said.
She said the Bay Islands Aquatic Centre on Russell Island, was one of the few pools left in Queensland that still closed for periods of the year, only opening from September to April.
"Work is ongoing to convince Redlands Council, who operate the pool, to invest in a heat pump that would allow the pool to remain open year-round," she said.
