Devonport Devils Report for MST Meeting – Oct 2024

Interim Appointment of Acting President and Coaching Team Approach
Exciting changes are happening at our club! Following the resignation of our President and Head Coach, Peta Ajkunic, the committee wasted no time in keeping things running smoothly. We’re thrilled to announce that Nina Edwards has stepped into the role of Acting President, while Greg Bellwood has taken on the position of Acting Training Co-ordinator.
In a fresh approach, the committee has decided to split the coaching role into two parts. This allows us to trial a new system where the Training Co-ordinator ensures a coach is poolside at every session—so there’s always someone there to guide us through our swims!
What’s really fun about this new setup is that our coaching team is working together to create a collective training program. We’ve got a fantastic coaching crew on deck, including Nina, who just completed her coaching accreditation (way to go! 😊), Rick, Tony, and Greg, who is currently working towards his accreditation.
With this dynamic team approach, we’re excited to see how the new structure strengthens our training and brings fresh energy to the pool. So let’s dive in and make the most of it!

Member Numbers on the Rise!
Great news for our club—our membership is growing! In just the last three months, we’ve welcomed five new members, bringing our total to 33 swimmers. 🎉 This is a fantastic milestone and shows that our club is continuing to attract new faces who share our passion for swimming.

Winter Championship Course – 17/18 August in Launceston The Devonport Devils had a strong team lined up to compete in the Winter Championship in Launceston. Unfortunately, four of our swimmers had to withdraw due to illness. Despite this, the rest of our squad showed up ready to make a splash and had a fantastic time! Special thanks to Tania, who took on the important task of timing—her support made a big difference! There were some standout moments at the event:         Lucy was recognized for completing an incredible 1,000,000 metres! A big achievement and a testament to her dedication in the pool.        Wendy brought home a new state record, making us all proud with her stellar performance! Even with the unexpected challenges, the Devils left their mark on the championship and we are looking forward to next time!

Expo of Everything – Devonport, 7 September 2024
The Devonport City Council hosted the Expo of Everything—and what a fantastic event it was! The Devonport Devils were lucky to secure a prime spot, and we had an absolute blast connecting with the community.
ne of the key takeaways from the day was the overwhelming feedback from visitors who didn’t realize that Masters Swimming was available in Devonport. We had great conversations, and it turns out our presence made quite the splash—since the event, we’ve welcomed 3 new members to the club!
The Expo was a brilliant opportunity to spread the word about what we do, and it was amazing to see so many people interested in joining our swimming family.

Bunnings BBQ – Saturday, 19 October
On Saturday, 19 October, we fired up the grill for our only planned fundraiser of the year—the Bunnings BBQ! With stunning weather and an amazing team of volunteers, we had a fantastic day serving up sausages and connecting with the community. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we were able to raise just over $1,000 for the club!
This fundraising effort is crucial as the committee continues to tackle the club’s financial sustainability. With lane hire fees on the rise, our goal is to keep membership costs as low as possible for everyone. Events like this help us balance our expenses and ensure we can keep swimming accessible to all.