Waves, weather, jellyfish and potentially – gulp – sharks.
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That's what dolphin-like City of Orange Swim Club duo Courtney Chapman and Felicity Chitukudza will face at the 2017 Swimming Australia Open Water Championship at Adelaide’s Brighton Beach next week.
More than anything though, the pair’s biggest battle will be against themselves in their respective bids for national glory next weekend.
Chapman, 19, will contest the open women’s five and 10 kilometre swims – she finished an incredible seventh in the 17-18 years category of the latter last year – while Chitukudza, 13, will make her national championship debut in the 13-14 years 5km race.
“Open water swimming is a tough gig,” Tanya Chapman, the duo’s coach, said.
“So much of it is mental, you need to be mentally tough. Are these two tough enough? Absolutely.
“Courtney and Felicity are the two hardest trainers I’ve ever come across and I’m thrilled, from a coach’s point of view, to see them qualify for this level.
“We’ve had a really good lead-up to the event, so I think both of them can do really well and more than anything enjoy themselves.”
The pair has some serious form behind them too. Chapman finished third in NSW at last year’s state titles while Chitukudza came second in her age group.
The duo will head down to Adelaide next week and finish their preparation, and tapering, with a couple of practice swims in the days leading up to the competition.
Chapman and Chitukudza are both aiming high too.
“I just want to come in the top 10,” Chitukudza smiled.
“I want a top seven finish,” Chapman fired.
“The top seven are eligible when they start picking national squads for the open events, so I’d need to make the qualifying time too which will be tough because it’s an ocean swim and you never know what can happen on the day with the weather and the course.
“You battle tides and all those sort of [variable] conditions, and the jellyfish in the ocean. They were bad last year although, they’re just like a bee sting really.”
“That’s where the mental toughness comes in,” Tanya Chapman said.
“People panic a little bit, but you just need to push through. It’s not easy, but the ones who do push through that type of thing are the ones who do well.”
Chapman’s 10km race is on Friday January 27 and her 5km race on Sunday, January 29.
Chitukudza’s swim is scheduled for Saturday, January 28.