Cairns Stingrays Swimming Club is a sports club located at the Woree Sports & Aquatic Centre in Cairns. The club is dedicated to helping school-age kids develop their swimming abilities in a friendly and supportive team environment.
The club offers training sessions during the week and weekends, which can be found by visiting the pool's website or Facebook page. Club Nights are held every Friday evening from 6:00pm till around 8pm, where kids have the opportunity to participate in friendly competition-style racing in all four strokes and at different distances. There are also fun races for younger swimmers. Club Nights take place weekly, excluding school holidays.
The new season begins in September, but newcomers are welcomed at any stage. Interested swimmers can even attend up to three Club Nights for a $5 family subscription per night to see if they enjoy it and want to join the club. Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to promote a family-friendly environment of support and encouragement.
During Club Nights, hot food is available, and occasional raffles are held throughout the season for various prizes. The club also organises fundraising events, such as an annual sponsored swim called 'Aquathon', car washing, cake drives, or jumble sales. Additionally, the club hosts a wind-down party before Christmas, where Santa visits, and an end-of-season Easter party where chocolate prizes are given out.
Cairns Stingrays also organises an annual combined camping long weekend and awards prize-giving break-up at Lake Tinaroo in October. All members are invited to attend, either camping over the three days or for a day visit on Sunday for the prize-giving. The event includes watersports, outdoor activities, and renowned communal BBQs.
The club is affiliated with other sites and is proud of its achievements. It has won the Short Course Relay Champs in the 2022-23 season and was the overall champion in the FNQ region for the 2021-22 season. Financial assistance is available for low-income families, and the club is a Good Sports accredited member, providing a safe, healthy, and family-friendly sporting environment.
Cairns Stingrays Swimming Club has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1989. Over the past 30 years, countless local children have become “Stingrays” and have enjoyed participating in the club's activities. Notable Olympians, such as Brenton Rickard and Chris Wright, are former Stingrays members. The club's activities aim to develop physical conditioning, sportsmanship, teamwork, mental discipline, and other skills that provide immediate and lifelong benefits beyond the pool.
Club activities are organised by the volunteer committee members of the Stingrays Management Committee in collaboration with other club families. The club encourages family participation and values the involvement of parents in their child's swimming journey.
To learn more about Cairns Stingrays Swimming Club, interested individuals can visit their website, check out their newsletters and contact them directly. The club's website is created and maintained by M Foote Design, and it is affiliated with the Woree Sports & Aquatic Centre.