AustLit

'I get through three kilometres before there are people lining up at the door to the pool. I towel off, change, eat a banana. Open up. The first ones through are the squad coaches; arriving ten minutes before practice starts so that they can write the sets up on the whiteboard, and drink the coffee out of their travel mugs. Then there are the early morning crew, mostly older men and some women who've been swimming here for decades. They are weathered, salty and friendly. We don't speak much before they've been in but after their swims they come back for a coffee and a chat, to brag about their team beating mine in the league...'  (Publication abstract)