Last week TYR tweeted a link to a very cool Buzzfeed article called “24 Amazing Pools You Need to Jump in Before You Die.” So far, I’ve only swam laps in one pool on the list, Colorado’s Glenwood Hot Springs (#20).
I’d probably most like to check out the 1 kilometer long San Alfonso, Chile pool (#3),
And with enough peer pressure, I’d probably hop into the Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls (#19), just to say I did it!
The list got me thinking about all of the pools I’ve swam in over the years, and which ones are my favorites.
Obviously, I’m partial to the absolutely gorgeous University of Georgia Gabrielsen Natatorium and my current training ground at the Dynamo Swim Club.
I always raced well at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, had one of my best meets ever at Stanford’s Avery Aquatics Center, won a National Championship in Purdue’s Boilermaker Aquatic Center, and LOVED swimming in the temporary pools set up for 2004 and 2008 US Olympic Trials in Long Beach and Omaha.
None of these pools made Buzzfeed’s list, but in my opinion, they are just as incredible as any ocean-view infinity pool!
A pretty pool is nice, but definitely not required for fast training. My fastest times in high school came while I was training in a South Carolina pool that was literally in my coach’s backyard. I remember frogs getting in the drains and doing underwaters to stir up algae on the bottom on at least one occasion! It was too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer, but ALWAYS a fun place to be. A pool is a pool, and a lane is a lane. And as long as there’s water in it, it can make you a faster swimmer!
Have a favorite pool? I want to hear about it! Leave a comment or tweet me a pic!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Growing up a swimmer in the midwest, I swam at the Nat as a kid, and occasionally get to as an adult. The most interesting pools I ever swam in are the saltwater pools in Australia, right along the beaches, filled directly from the sea. ALso, the Sydney Harbor Bridge pool, http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1890/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1890-20233.jpg.
Also, lakeside swim club, the outdoor quarry turned giant water playground plus 50m pool in the quary, was another favorite.
WOW!!! The Sydney Harbor Bridge Pool definitely makes my bucket list!!! Those Aussies know how to build a pool!
And I don’t know how I’ve never swam at Lakeside! Lots of fast swimmers have come from that quarry! I’ll have to check it out sometime. Thanks!!
I was only on the deck – it was too cold to get in but the bondi pool juts out into the ocean. It’s incredible.
http://8020.photos.everywheremag.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/9609_4691_m.jpg
It’s official. I NEED to swim in the Bondi Pool! Incredible!!
I also swam in a 50 meter salt water pool in Sidney, Australia. Used to run in early morning and jump in the pool, run back to the hotel and be picked up for work 8 .
Sounds like a great morning to me! And it sounds like Australia is the place to be if you like swimming pools!
Just curious – I assume you swam in Emory’s pool in Atlanta at some point. What are your opinions of the pool? I’m an alum and I know I’m biased, but still feel like it’s nicer than a ton of pools I’ve been in since my college days – pools that were built more recently and for bigger schools or programs (remembering that Emory’s swim teams were no where near as competitively strong when the pool there was built as they are today).
I LOVE both the indoor and outdoor pools at Emory, but especially love the outdoor pool when it’s set up for long course in the summer. I think it might be the nicest pool in the state! I’d also agree with you in saying the pools at Emory have contributed to their swimming success. I’ve also heard great things about their coaching staff, and Emory is a great school to boot! You should be a very proud alum!!