Artistic swimmers perform at Wakulla Springs
The Tallahassee Serinas Artistic Swimming Team showcased their award-winning athleticism as they performed in the waters of Wakulla Springs on Saturday, an event hosted by the Friends of Wakulla Springs.
The athletes, ranging in age from 9 to 17 years old, included Baelynn Bixler, Elena Gelhardt, Elyse Gelhardt, Clara Hunter, Julia Hunter, Emma Rinehart, Jasper Brooks and Zoë Fisher.
After researching the Florida State Archives and learning about the aquatic shows once performed by the Tarpon Club of the Florida State College for Women, Chris Brown, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park, became determined to revive the tradition and bring history back to Wakulla Springs.
Brown’s efforts aim to bring that spirit back to the springs, reconnecting audiences with a beloved chapter of Wakulla Spring’s cultural past. Brown mentioned, “Edward Ball used to love the shows, and I want to help bring this back.”
“I called FSU athletic club, and I asked if there were any synchronized swimming programs, and they said no, so they pointed me in the direction of the Serinas Club.”
“The sport, added to the Olympics in 1984 was formerly known as synchronized swimming. The change was made to highlight the sports artistic and athletic complexity, improve its visibility, and align it with other judged sports programs like gymnastics and figure skating, said coaches Anna Jowers and Andrea Gutierrez.
“The girls train 1-2 hours, 4 to 5 days a week and if we are preparing for competition, we get ready to train up to 6 hours a day.” The team has competed and placed in the Junior Olympics held in Michigan. The group performed techniques such as basket lift and Emma Rinehart filled the role as the flyer for the presentation.
During the show, the girls were forced to adjust to the naturally occurring current of the spring, however, they progressively transitioned and delivered an outstanding performance.
Viewers filled the swimming area and both tiers of the Wakulla Springs dive tower to enjoy the award-winning artistic swimming team demonstrate their strength, endurance, complex transitions and artistic impression.
During the performance, a manatee surfaced adjacent to the roped off swimming area, adding even more natural beauty to the event.