Archer Giese, Maia Pensio, Max Giese, Chase Hunt and Teila Hunt at the Woree Pool.
DESPITE a cramped night of sleeping beside the McLeod River, Cooktown’s superfish smashed a string of personal bests at the Cairns Stingrays Long Course meet in Woree.
With a severe weather warning in place, the original contingent of 18 swimmers from the Cooktown Amateur Swimming Club was whittled down to just five and their families.
Jacynta Hunt said her family had other commitments in Cairns, so not travelling down wasn’t an option.
“We spent the night beside the road at the McLeod and the kids were so good,” she said.
“Not once did they whinge, they were playing cards under the car, and slept in the car and on the roadside between cars as best they could.”
The team was able to cross at about 4am and make their way to the “best McDonald’s we’ve ever had” before heading to the two-day meet in Cairns.
Max Giese and Maia Pensio blitzed the pool in the 10-year-old boys age group, with 13 personal bests between them, while Chase Hunt scooped nine personal bests in the 11-year-old boys group.
Archer Giese in the 12-year-old boys and Teila Hunt in the 14-year-old girls also swam brilliantly, picking up two personals bests and a second place.
Ms Hunt said the Cooktown team was thankful for the support of the Cairns Central swimming club on the day, as well as the help of her husband Wayne and fellow Cooktown swim parents who made the trip down to support their children.
The team is preparing for the Far North swimming championships in March.
