In early November close to 30 former CUSWPC athletes returned to Cambridge to get back in the pool and compete again. Senior President, Jean Khalfa, started the day with an enlightening tour of the Wren Library before many alumni donned their bathing suits to outdo each other in the pool. Having dried off and changed into more appropriate attire we were welcomed by Andy Rubin and Trinity College in the Old Kitchens for a more relaxed evening. Over a candlelight dinner many alumni caught up with old friends or made new ones reminiscing of the days spent swimming in the cam and enjoying the Newnham Riverbank Club at the annual Taddies Garden Party. CUSWPC were delighted to welcome Jazz Carlin, a Great Britain medallist at Rio 2016 and double European Champion, for a question and answer session with questions flowing more than the wine.
Through speaking with many of you who were there I was delighted at how keen everyone was to come back to Cambridge and reconnect with the club. This led to several alumni making the journey to Oxford to support the Light Blues on a tough Varsity day. Although this is just the start, by reaching out and bringing many alumni back we are hoping to increase the awareness of the high subscription cost faced by students. Already we have had many generous donations and, with the help of the University, have set up a direct debit payment enabling annual donations to be set up. With your help we can ensure rising costs are no longer a barrier to access for students and can continue to push Cambridge to put a spade in the ground for a new pool.
Ben Tinkler-Davies
