Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Swimming NT CEO Rob West says competitors from across the country are coming to Darwin for the inaugural Country Swimming Championships this weekend

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Swimming NT CEO Rob West says competitors from across the country are coming to Darwin for the inaugural Country Swimming Championships this weekend · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now swimmers from across Australia are set to converge on
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory with Darwin hosting the Australian Wide Country Championships.
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  Speaker 2: Now it's all kicking off this Saturday and runs for
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  Speaker 2: a couple of days.
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  Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line to tell us more
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  Speaker 1: about it is swimming into CEO Rob West.
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  Speaker 3: Good morning to you, Rob, Good morning Katie. How are
• 0:21
  Speaker 3: you yeah?
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  Speaker 1: Really well, great to have you on the show and
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  Speaker 1: great to hear that the National Country Swimming Championships are
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  Speaker 1: happening in Darwin.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, we are very excited. It's going to be an
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  Speaker 3: action packed four days. We have a number of swimming
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  Speaker 3: swimmers coming from all over Australia, so it will be
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  Speaker 3: a great event for Darwin.
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  Speaker 1: Is this the first time that we've ever had the
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  Speaker 1: National Country Swimming Championships here in the territory.
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  Speaker 3: It's actually the inaugural Country Swimming Championships awesome, never been
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  Speaker 3: held anywhere in Australia, so that one where we've actually
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  Speaker 3: got the inaormural event. Yest Oh, that's.
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  Speaker 1: Wonderful news and wonderful for the North and Territory, but
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  Speaker 1: also for the sport of swimming and people that live
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  Speaker 1: more regionally throughout Australia. Rob, any idea how many swimmers
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  Speaker 1: we're going to have taking part.
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  Speaker 3: So we've got about three hundred and seventy nominations across
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  Speaker 3: the event, across the four days, and as I said before,
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  Speaker 3: they come from all over Australia, so we're really excited.
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  Speaker 2: How far away are we talking, rob.
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  Speaker 3: Every state in Australia is represented. They are all regional
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  Speaker 3: and country clubs. So it's an opportunity for swimmers who
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  Speaker 3: don't normally get that excitement in the bigger events. So
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  Speaker 3: I've actually all decided to come to Darward for holiday
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  Speaker 3: and experience a national event here in Darwa.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, how wonderful.
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  Speaker 1: And also throughout you know, through the school holidays which
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  Speaker 1: is a good thing for us, and through that shoulder
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  Speaker 1: season as well when it comes to tourism, and then
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  Speaker 1: to have three hundred and seventy nominations, it's a good
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  Speaker 1: thing all round.
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  Speaker 3: It's excellent and we are very excited. As I said,
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  Speaker 3: there's been a lot of planning and a lot of
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  Speaker 3: organization that's gone into the background. We've had a lot
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  Speaker 3: of support from CDO and Council, the YMCA, the Northern
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  Speaker 3: Territory Government. They've all come on board to help us
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  Speaker 3: host this event as an innormal event and hopefully we
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  Speaker 3: will see it back in Darwen in the near future.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Rob, I understand that the event's going to be
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  Speaker 1: held as well in conjunction with the Junior State Age Challenge,
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  Speaker 1: and it'll see obviously, like you've mentioned, some of the
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  Speaker 1: best swimmers from regional Australia competing at the perhaps swimming pool,
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  Speaker 1: and I'm assuming that the fact that it's also being
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  Speaker 1: held with the Junior with the Junior State Age Challenge
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  Speaker 1: means that the younger kids of the territory are able
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  Speaker 1: to compete as well.
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  Speaker 3: Oh look, yes, Katie, that's an event we actually added
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  Speaker 3: into running conjunction with this one to give the kids
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  Speaker 3: from nine years to eleven years the opportunity of swimming
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  Speaker 3: at such a big event because the Country Championships is
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  Speaker 3: only open for those twelve years and over. Yeah, we
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  Speaker 3: open it up a Junior State Age Challenge for those
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  Speaker 3: younger swimmers and we're going to swim those events in
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  Speaker 3: amongst the actual championship so that I'll give them the
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  Speaker 3: opportunity to feel the excitement and the vibe that will
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  Speaker 3: be happening.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, how important do you reckon it is? As well?
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  Speaker 1: When you talk about growing a sport like swimming to
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  Speaker 1: include those younger children, well.
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  Speaker 3: As you probably hear many times over, they are our
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  Speaker 3: future and those younger kids are the ones we need
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  Speaker 3: to promote, the encourage to enjoy the sport, and to
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  Speaker 3: give them an opportunity like this to be part of
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  Speaker 3: a national event will only help us encourage them to
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  Speaker 3: continue on with it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Hey, the championships are going to be over four days,
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  Speaker 1: I believe you said, Rob, and a couple of sessions
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  Speaker 1: each day.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's correct, Pattie, most every day, sorry, every day.
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  Speaker 3: The gates will open at seven, competition is starting around
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  Speaker 3: the eight to thirty mark. It will run till probably
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  Speaker 3: just after lunchtone then we give everybody a bit of
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  Speaker 3: reprieve from the heat, and we come back at about
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  Speaker 3: five o'clock to the finals.
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  Speaker 1: It sounds like it's going to be awesome. Are you
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  Speaker 1: expecting some records to fall?
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  Speaker 3: Like?
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  Speaker 2: How good is the competition going to be?
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  Speaker 3: Rob? Well, I think I think there might be a
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  Speaker 3: few nervous records holds, because, as I said, it's the
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  Speaker 3: level of talent that's coming from around Australia will certainly
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  Speaker 3: challenge some of the long standing records in the territory,
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  Speaker 3: but hopefully we've got a few of our own strong
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  Speaker 3: territory swimmers that will be able to hold a few
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  Speaker 3: of those records as well.
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  Speaker 1: You know, I guess when you talk sport right around
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  Speaker 1: the territory, we know that you know, the Territorians love
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  Speaker 1: all of their sports. It doesn't matter whether you're talking
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  Speaker 1: about team sport or individual. But swimming in the territory
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  Speaker 1: does seem to be going from strength to strength at
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  Speaker 1: the moment. I know that we've got lots of young
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  Speaker 1: people that are competing at that national level and then
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  Speaker 1: to have a carnival like this one happening in Darwin,
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  Speaker 1: it really demonstrates how strong the sport is, doesn't that?
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  Speaker 3: Yes? Absolutely, and it it's something that you know, we
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  Speaker 3: are swimming normal territory and all the clubs within the
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  Speaker 3: territory really trying to promote where we're trying to promote
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  Speaker 3: that broke conticipation at the junior level, which hopefully will
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  Speaker 3: encourage our numbers right through the sport through their entire
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  Speaker 3: age groups.
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  Speaker 2: Now, mate, can anyone come along and watch.
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely, we've got great stands scening board in just for
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  Speaker 3: the event and entry is free and yeah, we'd love
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  Speaker 3: to have many members of the Darlin' community come along
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  Speaker 3: and check out some of the best talent we've got
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  Speaker 3: the offer in Australia own Darwin Stars.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Well, my two little ones are going to be swimming.
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  Speaker 1: I know lots of other kids that are going to
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  Speaker 1: be taking part and I just think it's a wonderful
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  Speaker 1: thing to have happening.
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  Speaker 2: Right here in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 1: And then when you talk about the fact that there's
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  Speaker 1: been three hundred and seventy nominations, it also goes to
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  Speaker 1: show you the way that sport can bring tourism to
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  Speaker 1: the territory, which is a wonderful thing for the whole community.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely, Katie. It's one thing that the North Surdy
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  Speaker 3: government they supported us to help host this event. We've
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  Speaker 3: bought tourism, as you said on the shoulder, Yeah, and
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  Speaker 3: hopefully that will promote the territory for future tourism opportunities. Well.
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  Speaker 1: Rob West, the CEO of NT Swimming, lovely to talk
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  Speaker 1: to you this morning. All the best over the weekend.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sure you guys are going to be absolutely run
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  Speaker 1: off your fees.
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  Speaker 3: I would say, well, I would say we will be
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  Speaker 3: candy and no doubt we'll see you.
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  Speaker 2: There for sure. Good on your Rob, Thanks for your
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  Speaker 2: time this morning.
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  Speaker 3: No problem. By bye, Katie, see ya