Australian Masters Champion to compete at 2015 Epic Swim

Current Australian Masters champion, Ahlanna Hayes, is set to compete in her debut Epic Swim in Taupo this January, 2015.

The 33 year old is currently ranked first for her master’s age group in Australia in the 800m freestyle and 5km open water.

Having never entered the Epic Swim before Hayes is excited about competing in her chosen events, the Epic Epic and the Masters Classic.

“Having never swum this far before, my main goal is just to finish,” Hayes said.

“I am a bit worried about the water temperature! I don’t want to wear a wetsuit but coming from tropical Queensland, where the water will have been around 27degrees, it’s going to be challenging.”

While this will be the furthest she has swum Hayes has always grown up around the water, swimming competitively until her early teens before giving it away. She then got into triathlon seven years ago but injuries from running led her focus back to swimming.

It was just a few years ago that Hayes really got involved in open water swimming, beginning with the very event that led her to discovering the Epic Swim, the Magnetic Island Swim, which is an 8km swim from the Island to the mainland in Townsville, Australia.

It was at this event she met a man from New Zealand who told her about the Epic Swim.

Being a mother of five, with her children ranging from ages seven to 15 years, Hayes says she has to be very organised but still finds the time to train six days a week.

“Some sessions are early morning, some in the afternoon and even during the day to work around family commitments.

“Some days I have to take the younger two to the pool but they have friends there that they can play with so they love it. They have pretty much grown up on the pool deck.”

While growing up around swimming, only one of her children has an interest in swimming although they are all involved in some way from attending their mums events or trainings to tagging along with her to her job as a swimming teacher and coach.