Four Sliabh Beagh swimmers attended the Ulster Masters Gala in Lisburn on 26 November 2011. They entered in the 400, 100 and Relay Freestyle events. Three produced personal best times, which is amazing based on the low level of training they are doing. However with age comes power, mental strength and the ability to modify what you are doing even when under pressure.
The results were Patrick McKenna, 1st 400M Freestyle 4.38.10 and 2nd 100m Freestyle 55.39; Damien Murray 2nd 400m Freestyle and 3rd 100M Freestyle. The relay team were 3rd in the 4 x 25m Freestyle event in a time of 53.02. Paul McDonald swimming in his first ever indoor competition returned a 1.23.03 for his 100 Free. Paul also swam in the 400m Freestyle event and produced a personal best time to be proud of and this demonstrates that application does deliver. James O’Hara after ‘volunteering’ to make up the relay squad, discovered that three visits to the pool in 11 years is not enough to stave off heart attack like conditions, when trying to go flat out for 100m. Still a return of 1.06.93 was not bad for his near death experience.