The queer sports club Styrmir broke at least 14 national records in competitive adult swimming at the EuroGames in Sweden. A great success for a team of seven where the majority were beginners only three years ago.
“Our team broke a record in the first race which gave the whole team a second wind and the record-breaking frenzy began,” says the coach Hólmgeir Reynisson posting on Facebook that we couldn’t find a prouder coach and thanking his team.
“This was never the plan, we had just set out to have fun and enjoy the games. I knew some of the team members were capable of this but the results exceeded our expectations, especially in the relay race, all thanks to exceptional team spirit I believe.” And some good coaching we assume.
Hólmgeir, a former athlete swimmer himself, has been leading the team for three years now and says that despite his competitive nature and ambition the main purpose is to have fun and enjoy each others company twice a week when they meet for practice at Sundhöllin in Reykjavík. The swimmers are at a different level and some come to practice to do serious lapses while others want to take it easy and soak in the hot tubs.
“…the results exceeded our expectations, especially in the relay race, all thanks to exceptional team spirit I believe.”
“I try to keep it fun and challenging at the same time,” says Hólmgeir that plans to take his team to the Gay Games in Edmonton next year. “We are definitely going to compete more.”
At the end of the month Hólmgeir will offer crawl lessons in order to have more people join the club. “Everyone is welcome.” He says beginners should not shy away from trying, and who knows he might turn them into winners.
For for further information on Styrmir go to the Facebook page, Íþróttafélagið Styrmir.
