Gardens Swimming Club

🏊‍♀️ **LEGENDS OF THE GARDEN — BROOKE STOCKHAM** 🏊‍♀️

Continuing our **Legends of The Garden** series, we celebrate another extraordinary swimmer who trained right here at **“The Garden”**—the same pool, the same home and the same proud club where today’s swimmers continue to chase their own dreams.

⭐ **BROOKE STOCKHAM — FOUR-TIME PARALYMPIC MEDALLIST** ⭐

Born in Townsville on 20 April 1982, Brooke Stockham developed as a versatile Gardens Swimming Club athlete before rising to the highest level of international para swimming.

Competing across freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, individual medley and relay events, Brooke demonstrated remarkable talent across the full range of strokes.

Classified S8, SB8 and SM8, she announced herself internationally at the **1998 IPC Swimming World Championships in Christchurch**, winning:

🥈 **SILVER — 200m Individual Medley SM8**
🥉 **BRONZE — 100m Butterfly S8**

Those performances established Brooke as one of Australia’s leading young para swimmers—but even greater achievements lay ahead.

At the **Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games**, Brooke proudly represented Australia and returned home with three bronze medals:

🥉 **100m Breaststroke SB8**
🥉 **200m Individual Medley SM8**
🥉 **4 × 100m Medley Relay — 34 points**

Three events. Three Paralympic medals. An extraordinary achievement on home soil.

Brooke continued representing Australia at the **2002 IPC Swimming World Championships**, reaching the finals of the 100m breaststroke, 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

Her talent and dedication were also recognised with an **Australian Institute of Sport scholarship during 2002 and 2003**.

In 2004, Brooke earned selection for her second Paralympic Games in Athens. She reached three individual finals, finishing seventh in the 100m breaststroke and eighth in both the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

Her greatest success in Athens came in the women’s 4 × 100m medley relay.

Swimming alongside Chantel Wolfenden, Katerina Bailey and Hannah MacDougall, Brooke helped Australia secure:

🥉 **PARALYMPIC BRONZE — 4 × 100m Medley Relay**
⏱️ **5:25.02**

It was Brooke’s fourth Paralympic bronze medal across two Games—cementing her place among North Queensland’s most accomplished Paralympic athletes.

From her beginnings as a Gardens swimmer in Townsville to representing Australia at two Paralympic Games, Brooke’s career demonstrated extraordinary versatility, determination and consistency.

Before the World Championship medals, before the Paralympic finals and before those four Paralympic bronze medals, there was a young swimmer completing lap after lap at **The Garden**.

Today’s Gardens swimmers train in that same pool, follow that same black line and continue to be inspired by champions like Brooke who showed just how far courage, commitment and hard work can take them.

Brooke Stockham’s remarkable achievements are an enduring source of pride for Gardens Swimming Club—and another powerful reminder that journeys to the world’s greatest sporting stages can begin right here at home. 💚💛

**From The Garden to four Paralympic medals.**
**From The Garden to the world stage.**
**Our Pool. Our Home. The Garden.**

🎶🏊‍♀️ WHAT A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN! 🏊‍♂️🎶

The vibe was high, the music was pumping and everyone had a fantastic time at Club Night last night!

There was plenty of great racing, lots of smiles and some brilliant performances in the pool. Congratulations to all our trophy winners and to those who claimed the Biggest PB and Closest to PB awards!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the night such a success. This is what Club Night is all about — racing, music, fun and enjoying time together as one Gardens family. 💚🐙

We captured so many fantastic photos that we couldn’t include them all in this post. If parents see a photo they would like a copy of, please contact the club and we’ll be happy to get it to you.

The Garden was absolutely pumping!

GARDENS BENEFITS CONTINUE!

Tired of trying to work out what to do with your pool entry swipe card?

Problem solved, with your very own Gardens Lanyard, complete with Octopus Key Chain to write your name on, and a nice 3D printed octopus.

See you all at The Garden for training and Club Night!

🏊‍♀️ **LEGENDS OF THE GARDEN — JACINTA POWELL** 🏊‍♀️

Continuing our **Legends of The Garden** series, we celebrate another outstanding swimmer who trained right here at **“The Garden”**—the same pool, the same home and the same proud club where today’s swimmers continue to chase their own dreams.

⭐ **JACINTA POWELL — AUSTRALIAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL CHAMPION** ⭐

Jacinta Powell was an outstanding middle and long-distance freestyle swimmer who developed in Townsville as a member of Gardens Swimming Club.

Training under respected coach Don Watson-Brown, she progressed from North Queensland competition to representing Australia on the international stage.

At the **2006 Queensland Age Championships**, Jacinta recorded impressive performances across the distance freestyle events:

🏊‍♀️ **200m Freestyle — 2:04.80**
🏊‍♀️ **400m Freestyle — 4:19.45**
🏊‍♀️ **800m Freestyle — 8:52.18**

She also claimed bronze in the 15-years 200m freestyle at the **Australian Age Championships**.

Those performances earned Jacinta selection for the Australian Flippers team at the **2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney**, with Gardens listed proudly as her club and Don Watson-Brown as her coach.

Competing against talented international swimmers, Jacinta first secured:

🥉 **BRONZE — Women’s 400m Freestyle**
⏱️ **4:19.74**

She then produced the defining swim of her junior career:

🥇 **GOLD — Women’s 800m Freestyle**
⏱️ **8:51.73**

Jacinta defeated strong competitors from China and Japan to become an **Australian Youth Olympic Festival champion**.

Her international success continued at the **2008 Oceania Championships in Christchurch**, where she collected another three medals:

🥈 **SILVER — 800m Freestyle**
🥉 **BRONZE — 400m Freestyle**
🥈 **SILVER — 4 × 200m Freestyle Relay**

From training in the Gardens colours to wearing an Australian uniform, winning a Youth Olympic Festival title and collecting three Oceania medals, Jacinta proved that a talented distance swimmer from North Queensland could succeed against elite international competition.

Before the Australian selection, before the international medals and before that unforgettable gold, there was a young swimmer putting in kilometre after kilometre at **The Garden**.

Today’s Gardens swimmers train in that same pool, follow that same black line and dream of where their own dedication may one day take them.

Jacinta Powell’s story is another proud reminder that international success can grow from the hard work completed right here at home. 💚💛

**From The Garden to Youth Olympic gold.**
**From The Garden to the international podium.**
**Our Pool. Our Home. The Garden.**

Pool Closures for next week.

📢 IMPORTANT POOL & SQUAD UPDATE 🏊‍♀️

Dear Patrons and Squad Members,

Please be advised that the Long Tan Memorial Pool will be CLOSED on Tuesday, 1 September for scheduled works.

We’re excited to see these works take place and look forward to the improvements they will bring to our venue! We appreciate your patience and understanding while we continue to improve our facilities for our community. 💙

🏊 SQUAD MEMBERS:
Due to the scheduled works, Monday afternoon squad will be LONG COURSE.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back after the works are completed!

💙 Thank you for your understanding and support.

Words to live by from Dolphin #655, Alex Bagley—a true Gardens Legend. 💚💛

Determination, unwavering support and leaving no stone unturned. That’s what The Garden is all about. 🐙🏊‍♂️

🏊‍♀️ **LEGENDS OF THE GARDEN — ALEXANDRA “ALEX” BAGLEY** 🏊‍♀️

Continuing our **Legends of The Garden** series, we celebrate another outstanding swimmer who trained right here at **“The Garden”**—the same pool, the same home and the same proud club where today’s swimmers continue to chase their own dreams.

⭐ **ALEXANDRA “ALEX” BAGLEY — DUAL JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPION** ⭐

Alex Bagley was an exceptional distance and open-water swimmer who developed in Townsville as a member of Gardens Swimming Club.

Training under respected Gardens coach Don Watson-Brown, she progressed from North Queensland competition to representing Australia on the international stage.

Representing Gardens in 2005, Alex recorded impressive performances in two of swimming’s most demanding events:

🏊‍♀️ **800m Freestyle — 8:57.07**
🏊‍♀️ **1500m Freestyle — 17:27.44**

She continued to improve and soon established herself as one of Australia’s strongest young distance swimmers.

At the **2007 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui**, Alex delivered a remarkable performance in the women’s 1500m freestyle:

🥇 **GOLD — 1500m Freestyle**
⏱️ **16:45.45**
🏆 **Swimming North Queensland 17–18 years record**

That outstanding swim remains preserved in the Gardens club records—but Alex wasn’t finished.

Moving from the pool to the ocean, she led for most of the Junior Pan Pacific 10km open-water race before securing her second championship title:

🥇 **GOLD — 10km Open Water**
⏱️ **1:56:40**

Alex defeated American Kristen Groome by just three seconds to become a **dual Junior Pan Pacific champion** across both pool and open-water competition.

Only months later—and still a teenager—Alex represented Australia at the **2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne**, competing in two senior open-water events:

🌊 **5km Open Water — 18th**
⏱️ **1:00:58.5**

🌊 **10km Open Water — 14th**
⏱️ **2:05:32.9**

From wearing the Gardens colours in Townsville to winning two Junior Pan Pacific titles and racing at a senior World Championships, Alex demonstrated extraordinary endurance, versatility and determination.

Before the international titles, before the World Championships and before wearing the green and gold, there was a young swimmer putting in kilometre after kilometre at **The Garden**.

Today’s Gardens swimmers train in that same pool, follow that same black line and learn the same lesson Alex’s journey so powerfully demonstrates: dedication at home can carry you onto the world stage.

Alex Bagley’s achievements remain a proud part of our club’s Australian representative history—and another inspiring example of what can begin right here at **The Garden**. 💚💛

**From The Garden to two Junior Pan Pacific titles.**
**From The Garden to the World Championships.**
**Our Pool. Our Home. The Garden.**

🏊‍♂️ **WHAT A WEEKEND OF SWIMMING!** 🏊‍♀️

What an incredible weekend it has been for swimmers from across our region!

On Saturday, former Gardens captain and New Zealand international **Jack Hendy** returned to **The Garden**, sharing his experience and some of his secrets to swimming faster with an enthusiastic group of local swimmers.

Then today, the action continued with the **SNQ Achievers Clinic** here in Townsville, led by Australian coach **Michaela Pattinson**, fresh from a trip to the Pan Pacific Championships in the United States.

It was fantastic to see coaches from **Gardens, Townsville Tourist, Lightning, Tiger Sharks and Charters Towers** all come together to lend a hand and support the swimmers throughout the clinic.

The best part was seeing swimmers and coaches from clubs across the entire region training, learning and enjoying the sport together. Swimming in North Queensland is strong—and weekends like this show exactly why!

A massive thank you to Jack, Michaela, all of the coaches, SNQ and everyone who helped make such an unforgettable weekend possible. 💚💛



Jack Hendy
Rackley Swimming Long Tan
Rackley Swimming
Townsville Tourist Amateur Swimming Club
Lightning Swim Club
Townsville Tiger Sharks Swimming Club
Herbert River Swimming
Charters Towers Amateur Swimming Club
Burdekin Swimming Club
Swimming North Queensland

🐙💚 A massive thank you to Jack Hendy for taking time out of his busy schedule to return to The Garden and share his knowledge and experience with our swimmers.

Having an international swimmer like Jack give back to the club where his own journey began means so much to us. Our swimmers loved every minute of the clinic and will carry the lessons, encouragement and memories with them for a long time!

It was also fantastic to see such a strong showing from all our local clubs. The sport of swimming is strong in Townsville, and it was wonderful to see swimmers from across the region training, learning and enjoying the experience together! 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♂️

We would also like to give a huge shout-out to our wonderful swim mum, Dania, for creating this amazing video and capturing such a special experience for our swimming community. You’ve done an incredible job! 🎥👏

Thank you, Jack and Dania! 💚💛

Send a message to learn more

Hello Swimmers,
For those attending the Achievers Clinic on this Sunday at Long Tan Pool, please bring a snack to eat during the day.