Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Wanting to find an opportunity to get back in the water? Look no further than the Health and Wellness Center for an enthusiastic, tight-knit community that spends two days a week in the pool together. The Western Swim Club offers new experiences to swimmers of all levels. It doesn’t matter if one has been on a competitive swim team or has never dipped their toes in a pool before — the members of the Swim Club are here to help along the way.

Swimming stands out from many other sports and offers unique opportunities for members. Because the exercise takes place in water, there are so many therapeutic benefits to swimming. Just submerging oneself in the water increases blood flow to the brain, improving memory, concentration and mood. Swimming may be a healthy outlet for college students during stressful weeks. 

Learning how to swim may be an intimidating experience. Not everyone is going to be able to swim a 100-meter freestyle with flip turns in a minute the first time they enter the pool. Swim Club is a fantastic place to practice the basics, with new friends to cheer you on along the way.

If swimming laps aren’t preferable, there are many other fun aspects to Western’s Swim Club. There are days in the schedule dedicated to team building with activities such as relay races, water polo and playing fun water games, such as sharks and minnows. The annual Swim-A-Thon is also an opportunity to engage in exciting games and get to know team members.

Maximus Sing, the president of Western’s Swim Club, spoke about his philosophy in regard to creating a great team and environment. “I have three things that go with any sport — learn to play the game the right way, make yourself better every day and have fun,” Sing said. The Swim Club officers are all eager to start competing with other schools, such as University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Before the club is competition ready, the swimmers have to focus on bettering themselves and each other.

No matter one’s level of swimming, there are many people eager to help. “Winter term is a clean slate… it’s not too late to start to learn how to swim because we can teach you,” Sing said. 

The Health and Wellness Center pool is waiting for new members to dive in.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu