Afraa Kori
Williamstown’s Parish priest, Father Greg Trythall has undertaken the Australian challenge of 1500 consecutive Sunday swims.
A special gathering was held on August 18, at Williamstown Surf and Life Saving Club with parishioners, friends and community to honour the milestone.
“I never thought I would reach 100, let alone 1500 Sunday swims. It’s been a journey blessed by God’s grace, bringing health, joy and unwavering enthusiasm to my vocation as a priest,” Father Greg said.
“In Australia I have never missed that Sunday swim these last 30 years and Sunday, August 18 is the culmination of 1500 in a row which makes me even shake my head in disbelief.”
This milestone marks a journey that began on the second Sunday of November, 1994, and continues today with the same enthusiasm and dedication.
The main message he conveys is that one does not have to be an Olympic athlete in order to establish a strong foundation for lifelong health and fitness.
Parishioner at his former parish and Sacred Heart College teacher Carl Tracey said “it’s a pretty novel sort of feat”, as he’s never seen a priest doing something like this.
“I’m sure he’ll keep it going because he is a competitive beast. Greg loves a challenge and it’s really a testament to his never giving up. Behind that he wants to do God’s work and be the best he can be for his parish. So we admire him for that and that’s why I’ve driven from Torquay today to come here to witness this.”
Father Greg said the sea has nourished him with its beauty and has greatly enhanced his health.
“I was fortunate that my parents took me down as a young boy from our inner-city suburb of Footscray to their favourite beach at Williamstown back in the 1950’s. Now I feel more than fortunate to be the Catholic Parish Priest of Williamstown these last 14 years,” he said.
“To me my vocation just happens to be priesthood, but at the very least I can understand that God gave many of us the benefits of sea water to help us keep the best of health and even with that greater happiness.”
Swimming also came with its own challenges, from the toughest to most iconic swims in the world.
“One could get carried away with the danger of the ocean, such as my needing to be rescued by a lifesaver in a secret rip off a Newcastle beach in 1977, or being alerted by a passing helicopter that there was a sizeable shark very close to me in the water just under the Byron Bay Lighthouse, as I swam innocently there alone one early Sunday morning around 2018- 2019 on annual holidays,” Father Greg said.
“Then the challenge is the colder water days especially that period of June to August when often the mornings are cold, dark and sometimes even raining. None of us swimmers like the occasional jellyfish that sometimes just appear out of the blue especially in some of the warmer months.”
Nethertheless, his courage and habit of swimming on Sundays led to venturing in different oceans.
He has swum at Anglesea, Zeally Bay, Lorne Pier and Williamstown beach. As well as the Black Sea, the Red Sea and swum (of sorts) in the Dead Sea as one mainly only floats due to the salt content of about 27 per cent.
Father Greg has no intention to inspire others with his swimming journey but he certainly wants to inspire others to be better human beings.
“I have stayed completely healthy and God I believe has answered my initial prayer made on Byron Bay holidays 30 years ago that I would find something which would help me to retain enthusiasm in my own particular calling in life for the years to come.”
