Today we're diving into Cruiz SC - Home of Tokyo Olympian Jessica Hansen!
Located in the heart of Australia’s capital, Cruiz Swim Club was established in 2003 at the Canberra Olympic Pool in Canberra City, ACT. The club attracts members from across the Canberra region and bordering NSW towns. In the past three years the club has experienced a significant increase in numbers, growing from a mere 30 members in 2018 to their current base of 145 individuals. And impressively, membership is still steadily increasing.
Tokyo Olympian Jessica Hansen, who has qualified for the 100m breaststroke under ACT Hub Coach Shannon Rollason, calls Cruiz SC home – a source of great excitement and pride for all club members! Watch Jess represent Australia this week on Channel 7. Olympic coverage begins on 23 July.
To find out a bit more about the club, we spoke to Head Coach Laura Brindley, Club President Gabi Payne and swimmer Will Aikman.
Cruiz SC in Depth
Resilience – that’s what Cruiz members are made of according to Head Coach Laura and swimmer Will. After the club’s original owner’s retirement and a subsequent exodus of members, closure seemed imminent to the remaining members. Instead of giving in, Cruiz’s senior members (including Club President Gabi Payne with the support of the club’s parent base) stepped up to revive the club. Since joining the club in 2018 as a coach, Laura has really enjoyed the fact that swimmers don’t take things for granted, like being a contributor to a good club culture. Currently running five squad programs including a Gold, Silver, Bronze and Blue squad, as well as a large adult squad program, the club’s membership base has increased a whopping 300%!
Excellence, Inclusion and Community are probably the three strongest values that the club holds, as described by swimmer Will. “Kids have a lot of pride in their club being the underdogs and are proud to be a part of the culture and effort that the committee and parents put in,” agreed Gabi and Laura. The club’s diverse membership base pride themselves on having a go and doing their best.
Long-time member Will Aiken has been training under Laura and just recently qualified for his first Country Championships. While Will is always working towards achieving his goals as an athlete, the main forces keeping him at Cruiz are the social and community aspects the club has to offer.
Swimmer development is also a key emerging strength for Cruiz SC. Eight swimmers and three relay teams will be travelling to compete at 2021 NSW Country SC Championships this winter – a notable increase from the two individual swimmers who attended the 2020 NSW Country (LC) Championships.
Olympian Jess Hansen joined Cruiz during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, and as a member of the Australian Dolphins Leadership Team, has already been a very positive influence on all club members. Jess has embodied the important club value of community, inspiring younger swimmers through the running of coaching clinics and attending club presentations. She recently had a Q&A with the senior group, where they discovered that she only started competitive swimming when she was around 15 years old and has made her first Olympic team at age 25, highlighting a lesser-known pathway to success for those willing to put in the hard work.
What's next for Cruiz SC
In the immediate future, Cruiz SC members will be keeping a close eye on Jess as she realises her dream of wearing the green and gold as an Australian Olympian. Join Cruiz in supporting Jess Hansen starting this Friday, 23 July on Channel 7.
With adult squad enrolments completely filled for the year, Cruiz have shifted their focus to building up their membership base within their high school program where they have plenty of room to grow.
Improving the quality of their program is also a major focus for the club. They are taking steps to achieve this by applying for grants to purchase new blocks at the pool. They’ve also set a goal to achieve better results at higher-level meets, including qualifying a swimmer for nationals next year.
The club normally tries to host a club night each term, and will also look to run some Come & Try events in the Term 3 school holidays.
Find and Contact Cruiz SC
Club pool: Canberra Olympic Pool, 36 Constitution Ave, Canberra ACT
Club website: https://cruiz.swimming.org.au/
Follow Cruiz SC on Facebook
Want to be featured in the next Clubs in Depth?
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- Purpose of Clubs in Depth initiative
Contact Olivia Kapocius (admin@nsw.swimming.org.au) to organise an interview.
The purpose of Clubs in Depth is to promote NSW-based clubs to both the Swimming NSW and broader community in order to increase engagement and participation. The article is distributed via our website, social media channels, the Hot Off the Blocks Newsletter and Swimmer Magazine.
Swimming NSW will also provide featured clubs with a modified copy of their article so it can be distributed to local media outlets as a new member and community engagement tool.
