A Golden Tale: 2023 World Championships Fukuoka Japan

Part 1 - Staging Camp: Saga Japan

A warm welcome for the team at the Saga airport.

Greetings from Fukuoka, Japan, where I am typing away against the backdrop of another heat session of the 2023 World Swimming Championships. Last night the team won four gold medals and broke two world records. It’s safe to say it’s been a sensational start to the competition. 
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​It’s been a surreal privilege to be part of such an event and an experience that will be hard to beat. I want to share some of the memorable moments from the trip.

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Every World Championships begins with a staging camp. This time we were in Saga, Japan. There were too many fun, hilarious and sensational moments in this part of the trip to mention them all. So here are some of the highlights and memorable moments:
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• Our First Olympian: Chasing 2024 Olympic qualification, our 10km open water team needed a top-3 finish. Chelsea Gubecka clinched second place securing her spot as the Dolphin’s first 2024 Olympian!
  
  The open water racing unfolded while we were still in Saga. It was a common sight to find members of the team walking down corridors or at the breakfast table fixed to screens, cheering on their teammates. Witnessing the level of camaraderie and support within this team is one of the things I love about working with the Dolphins.​

• Training In Monsoon Season Had It's Challenges: Extreme humidity and bucketing rain greeted the team in Saga. Our swimmers took it in their stride and got the job done in rain so heavy it seemed to turn the world grey. At one point, our support team trudged back to accomodation through streets submerged in water that came to just below the knees. It was definitely a memorable, although soggy experience! 

Team warm up run by the S and C team. My abs hurt watching this!

Hats off to the saturated coaches who braved the conditions to take the outdoor sessions.

Right before the heavens opened up and the team had to end their session early.

• ​Gold Cap Presentation: This is one of my favourite traditions of the Dolphins swim team: It acknowledges the honour and significance of becoming part of the Australian Dolphins team. At this presentation, the history of the team is remembered, the rookies are celebrated and all swimmers are presented with their gold swimming caps for the competition ahead.
  
  Adding to this occasion, the Governor of Saga had generously gifted the team 20 kilos of Saga beef, a local delicacy which the region is renowned for.  It was prepared for us as part of the event and it was the BEST beef I have eaten in my life! The people of Saga certainly know how to produce top quality beef!!

• Adventures: Don’t get me wrong, a lot of hard work occurs on these trips. However, on staging camp, we do have the luxury of a little more spare time. The swim team thoughtfully arranged bike rentals for all of us, opening the door to adventures exploring the place. Rural Japan, with its endless rice paddies just a few kilometres from the city, is truly enchanting.
  
  ​We enjoyed a day off, discovering a 3000-year-old tree, onsens (hot springs) built over a thousand years ago, and even hiked up a mountain with ancient shrines hidden along the path. Japan is magic and one of the things I cherish most about travelling with sports teams is the chance to explore places I might not have encountered otherwise.

In the blink of an eye, our staging camp concluded, and we boarded buses bound for the World Championships in Fukuoka. To read about the World Championships click the button below

Read about the World Champs