Twenty-two Kingscliff Swimming Club juniors are off to Japan this week, on the trip of a lifetime.
For many of the youngsters aged six to 17, it is their first trip out of the country and will see them come up against some of the best young swimmers in Japan.
Kingscliff coach Ian Walker said the trip was a reward for hard work.
“It will give them an experience of what it’s like to swim in another country – of what they can do, what they can achieve if they work hard,” he said.
The youngsters headed out on Wednesday for the eight-day trip to Osaka and Nagoya.
They will swim in the 23rd annual district swimming competition in the Aichi. The trip follows a visit by the hierarchy of the Miyoshi Swimming Academy earlier this year.
Representatives, General Manager Yukio Ichida, president Yasuyu Shioya and manager Naoaki Shioya dropped in to the Kingscliff to watch the squad in action.
The visit was part of a week-long tour of the region by the group – which is hoping to expand to include a triathlon arm.
Kingscliff Swimming Club coach Ian Walker said the club was pleased to have the group come along to a squad training.
“It is the start of a long-term relationship with Japanese swimming. It is really great to see them here,” he said.
Tony Luxton of Japan Holidays, who organised the trip to Japan for the Kingscliff kids, as well as the visit by the Miyoshi club officials, said at the time, the visit could be a pre-cursor to the Japanese Academy coming to the area to compete and train.
Mr Luxton said the club, from the Aichi Prefecture, was a very strong swimming group and was looking for tips on how to move into triathlons as well.
“They have spent the week meeting with people and studying the Australian system and events,” he said.
The Japanese club will return the favour later in the year, making their annual visit to the Queensland Swimming titles.
“Mr Ichida has been bringing groups to the Queensland Championships for the past 13 years,” Mr Luxton said.
He said this visit could lead to the group also coming here for summer training.
The Kingscliff squad will return home next week after the swimming and cultural visit, which coach Walker said had been made possible by successful fundraising events by the club, as well as strong support from local businesses.
