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5:38AM Sunday 23 November, 2008 Sunshine Coast weather Mostly sunny min 17° - max 25°

Dyanna goes in Tri

7 October 2008

Ask any Kiwi how they feel about snakes, sharks or creepy crawlies and you’ll quickly learn our neighbours across the ditch have an abhorrence of this type of wildlife.

So for Kiwi-turned-Noosa swimmer Dyanna Benny to even get into a river swarming with jellyfish was quite an act of courage. For her to swim through water that felt like “meat soup” and come first in the world masters swim championship in Perth earlier this year was a highlight of a long career in swimming.

“We swam in the Swan River in Perth,” she said.

“It was my first serious open water swim. The river was full of jelly fish. They were the non-stinging type but you could feel them slide pass you. It was horrible. I did have to talk myself through that swim.”

Dyanna had no great expectations of coming first in the three-kilometre swim; her strategy was to hook on to the hip of a fairly fast swimmer and try to stay with her.

“I suddenly found myself 500 metres ahead of her so I had to go to plan B, but there was no plan B,” she said.

“It was such a surprise (to be in the lead) I stopped during the race to look around. A woman behind me said ‘what are you stopping for?’ so I just kept going. At the half way mark we were tired, it was a rowing course, but my fighting off the end mark was better than my opponents’ so I came in first.”

Dyanna, who swam as a teenager in New Zealand and returned to swimming when her family grew up, holds a number of New Zealand records.

She has now made Noosa her home and swims at the Noosa Aquatic Centre with the Noosa Aussie Masters.

“It’s very encouraging,” she said.

“There are senior members there in the 80-plus age ground. The companionship there is very motivating whether it is with young mothers or fathers. The spirit of the club really is motivating.’’

Dyanna is now training for the Noosa Triathlon.

“I am branching out,” she said. “This is my second time in the Noosa Tri. I really enjoy the cycling.”

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