Swimmers pose for a photo in the Thorbeckes Aquatic Pool Wednesday afternoon during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
Swimmers make laps in the Thorbeckes Aquatic Pool Wednesday afternoon during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
Donna McPeak takes a photo of a swimmer at the Thorbeckes Aquatic Pool Wednesday afternoon during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
Stephanie Sampson swims in the Thorbeckes Aquatic Pool Wednesday afternoon during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
A swimmer surfaces during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event Wednesday afternoon in Centralia.
A pet food drive is seen on display Wednesday afternoon during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
A swimmer sports red, white, and blue attire while swimming laps during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
Eric Durban, a member of the United States Masters Swimming team poses for a photo Wednesday afternoon during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
Erin McPeak swims in her own New Year's Day 10K swim event held at Thorbeckes Aquatic Pool Wednesday afternoon in Centralia.
A swimmer uses a board while swimming laps in the Thorbeckes Aquatic Pool Wednesday afternoon during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
Pet donations sit on a table and in plastic tubs during the annual New Year's Day 10K swim event in Centralia.
Swimmers of all ages started 2020 off in the pool at the third annual Thorbeckes New Year’s 10K Swim with massages and food available afterwards.
The event had 31 swimmers participate in the 10K swim beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting until 1 p.m. on New Year's Day. The event is structured as a group-led swim practice where the goal is for swimmers to challenge themselves to reach a new personal distance goal.
The 10K swim lasts three hours and 20 minutes but one person does not swim the entire time. There are teams in all six of the pool lanes and based on the endurance and speed of the individual swimmer he or she will swim how ever many laps they can within two minute intervals then repeat.
Erin McPeak has organized the event for three years now and said it has improved each year. She modeled the event after the New Year’s swim her swim team in Indiana participated in which she missed and wanted to bring to Centralia.
Last year the event had four sponsors and this year McPeak and her mom, Donna secured 14 sponsors and made t-shirts for the event. McPeak’s parents, Pat and Donna were in charge of preparing the food for the swimmers to enjoy after the event. There was a full taco bar and a chocolate fountain with treats to dip for dessert.
Complimentary massages, provided by Breathe Easy Massage & Structural Integration, were available to the swimmers after the event. There was an entry fee of $20 for Thorbeckes members and $30 for nonmembers.
One of the swimmers was Chie Bringman from Centralia.
“My kids are on a swim team and they say ‘you don’t know what it’s like swimming long distances’ so I swam this today,” she said.
Bringman said she has swam in her past but it got harder for her to find the time to swim. She said she enjoys the event because it’s a way to be involved and meet people in the community.
The youngest of the swimmers was Faith Rubert, 14, who is taking a year off of her swim team, Poseidon, and still loves being in the water. She said the Thorbeckes New Year’s 10K Swim was a great way to start off the new year.
Eric Durban, 62, who has been swimming since he was 8 years old participated in the Thorbeckes New Year’s 10K Swim. He is from an hour north of Seattle and said he usually swims six days a week. Durban’s brother, Lars, said that Durban holds the record for the fastest time swimming the Strait of Gibraltar for people age 60 and over. The Strait of Gibraltar is 8.9 miles across and it stretches from Spain to Morocco.
“I heard about this event and thought it sounded like fun and my brother was going to be here swimming so I thought ‘what the heck.’ It really was a lot of fun, the event is very well organized,” said Durban.
Durban said he loves swimming because it is a great way to relieve stress.
Another participant, Todd Mason, started swimming recreationally in college and has been swimming ever since. He has participated in the Thorbeckes New Year’s 10K Swim in the past years.
“I trained a lot more for (the swim) this year so it was a lot easier,” said Mason.
Mason, who lives in Chehalis, said he is apart of a group that swims every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m. at Thorbeckes.
“There’s a new workout every time. It’s fun,” he said.
Mason said he enjoys swimming because there’s always something to learn and get better at so it keeps his mind engaged.
McPeak and Thorbeckes teamed up and collected “one full car load” of donated pet supplies as a part of the event, all of which will be donated to Lewis County Animal Shelter.
Erin’s mother, Donna said Erin has been swimming since she was 5 years old and that organizing an event like this is Erin’s dream. Erin said she will keep organizing the event all long as the community is interested and enjoys it.
The sponsors of this year’s Thorbeckes New Year’s 10K swim are: Mason Engineering, Stephanie Sampson with Best Choice Realty, TWIM Swim Team, Breathe Easy Massage & Structural Integration, U.S.A. Painting & Construction with Hugo Nevins, Wilson & Wilson Dentistry, Academy Mortgage Corporation with Travis Wentworth, Ash & Roberts, DDS, Black Dog Pottery, Thorbeckes Athletic Club, Fiddlers Coffee, McMenamins Olympic Club, Centralia Physical Therapy, and Chehalis Physical Therapy.
