Pool in record attempt

Two Sydney swimmers have swum at the Woy Woy pool in attempt to swim in at least 400 pools in Australia.

David Clarke of Camden and Hugh Pattinson of Chatswood have the ultimate aim being 1000 pools.

They took the plunge at the Peninsula Leisure Centre on Friday, July 14, at 11.15am.

Both Mr Clark and Mr Pattinson have swum in over 350 pools each around Australia, plus a few dozen overseas.

"I think we just sat down one day and worked out that we must have swum in about 30 or 40 different pools and thought 'Well, let's turn this into a mission'," said Mr Clark.

"That must have been about 10 years ago, because we've been averaging 25 to 30 pools each year since."

The pair spend about one or two weeks a year on the road traveling around various parts of Australia, sometimes swimming up to six or seven pools a day.

"Australia has more swimming pools than any other country in the world, there are over 1200 including 200 in the Newcastle-Sydney-Wollongong area alone," said Mr Clark.

"We contacted the Guinness Book of Records a couple of years ago.

"Not surprisingly, they don't have it as an official category, but they said come back when you've done 400 and we'll put you in.

"At this rate, we should make the 2009 edition."

Press release, July 7 Andrew Stuart, Peninsula Leisure Centre