World marathon swimming champion builds female friendships in the water

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Twice a week on a beach in Perth's northern suburbs, a group of women gather to forge friendships and build confidence in the water. It's a unique community group led by 7-time world marathon swimming champion Shelley Taylor-Smith.

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00:00They call themselves the teabaggers and each woman has her own story of how they made their

00:16way to this group I learned swimming at high school but then from then on I never really

00:24got any lessons and I really want to understand the techniques.

00:28Some of the ladies were just terrified you know and and now you saw them this morning

00:32up and back up and back it's just incredible.

00:34It leaks.

00:36They've learnt from the best former open water world champion Shelley Taylor-Smith.

00:42I'll pay it forward.

00:44I put a note out on the Whisperers Facebook group and I thought I was just talking to

00:48the locals and I was talking to 30,000 people and that's how it started.

00:53It's a bit of swimming and a lot of chatting but that's kind of the whole point.

01:00She's just attracted to these women that are so open, supportive, non-judgmental and we've

01:07all got these new friends thanks to this group.

01:08I'm the matriarch of the group.

01:10I'm 75 this year and it's one of the best things that I've ever done to join this group.

01:17I've never come across such a random group of women who have all connected and I think

01:24we'll be lifelong friends.

01:25You just know, you get that feeling.

01:28A simple ritual bringing pride and camaraderie in and out of the water.

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