History of the Lake Argyle Swim
2006: The event began in 2006 with a group of swimmers from the Balmoral Swimming Club in Sydney. Six club members swam the length of Lake Argyle from the wetlands of the Southern End to the rugged and spectacular northern reaches in an effort to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). The Kununurra Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) got behind the epic challenge and assisted the Balmoral Club in their achievement. A substantial sum was raised for the RFDS with worldwide interest showcasing the region.
2007: Due to the level of interest in the 2006 fundraiser, an annual Lake Argyle Classic was planned for the following year. The 2007 event was organised by Jim Hughes and the KCCI and was open to the public to compete. It included both a 20km and a 10km swim and was extremely successful for an inaugural event with some 60 swimmers entered as both individuals and as teams. This event was well publicised in 2007 with the ABC Radio’s "Macka’s Australia All Over" program broadcasting live from the Lake Argyle Dam to a worldwide audience.
2008 : The Lake Argyle Swim was rescheduled for September in an effort to fit in better with national and international events of a similar nature, and to separate the Swim from the fast growing Ord Valley Muster calendar. Unfortunately shifting the event to September did not achieve its purpose of attracting more volunteers or participants from Australia wide and more importantly, sponsorship. Secondary to this, September is less attractive from an event management perspective mainly due to the water temperature remaining cool (21 degrees in July, August).
2009: As significant effort and planning had gone into the 2008 event it was decided to again reschedule for May/June 2009 with hope of keeping the event alive. However, the economic downturn would cause the retraction of committed sponsorship resulting in the event again being cancelled leaving many disappointed swimmers high and dry. After several discussions with swimmers who had already made travel plans specifically for the event, it was decided that an "informal" swim would be held. This swim was a small event with two individuals and five teams taking part in a 10km swim.
2010: The Lake Argyle Swim had become widely recognised with the potential to become a regionally significant event. Such an event, if held regularly and professionally would benefit the area both through the attraction of tourism and is a positive, active event for the local community to engage in. For this reason, the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley resolved to auspice and provide staffing for the organisation for the 2010 event. It included both a 20 km and 10 km swim with 3 solo swimmers, 4 duo’s and 4 quad teams – a total of 27 swimmers.
2011: The Lake Argyle Swim committee is travelling full steam ahead with a dedicated event planner, and the new association application to ensure the longevity of the event. We can’t wait to see you here in the New Year and wish you all the best with your summer training programs.
