Kia ora, my name is Dawn Tratt.
I started swimming at Wollongong Continental Pool at the end of April 2019.
Swimming became my replacement sport, after I quit my skydiving job as an outside camera flier at Skydive Australia Wollongong.
Today I crave grounding and the element of water over flying and the element of air.
When I started at the iconic 50-metre ocean pool, I did freestyle with long flippers, and took a one-minute break after each length of the pool.
Life guard Wayne told me the only way I was going to get ‘swim fit’ was if I chucked the flippers and started doing tumble-turns after each length.
One month later I was swimming 1km non-stop with tumble-turns.
Two months later, 2kms.
I also joined the ocean swimmers, the Sharkbaters, for a few 2km open water winter swims – knocking another fear on the head.
Swimming every day at the Conti in Lane 3, Bob’s Lane, is a joyful routine.
Yoga teacher, skydiver, martial artist and journalist. Yoga keeps her centred and reinforces her core belief that the greatest gift to each of us is ourselves. When Dawn isn’t teaching yoga, she works as a skydive camerawoman, grapples with her mates at Gracie Barra Shellharbour, and does media and promotions for stuff she loves.
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