Swimmer leaving

Press, 22 January 1979, Page 19

Swimmer leaving

Trudi Garland, one of Canterbury’s most consistently performed swimmers in the last four years leaves Christchurch today to train for a year in Australia.

Garland, who turned 17 recently, will concentrate on her swimming under the watchful eye of Don Inkster, the former Christchurch coach, who moved to Newcastle at the end of last month. Before he left New Zealand Inkster was Garland’s coach, and while in Australia she will board with her coach's family, and train with Rochelle, inkstep’s daughter who is one of New Zealand’s most promising freestyle swimmers. Both girls still intend to swim for New Zealand if they meet the standards required. This season Garland has divided her aquatic activities between swimming and water polo. It is her first season playing the team sport, and a spectacular one. She was a member of the Pegasus A team that won the national women’s club championship and was playing only a few weeks before she was included in the New Zealand under 19 squad.

But after her initial success at water polo Garland believes her swimming can still improve, and she will devote her energies to it for the next year. She will still attend school while in Newcastle.