Friendship & Community – Jo Maher
For Jo Maher, a member of the Cairns Mudcrabs, the true measure of a swim isn’t found in a record book, but in the people she meets along the way. “It’s not about the medals and the results,” she says. “It’s about the whole experience.”
Jo’s relationship with Masters swimming started with a display table for the Marion Marlins club in South Australia and a simple invitation: “You should join us, you should come along!”
While she had been a competitive swimmer as a child, she never felt at home in the high-pressure world of age-group ranks. Masters was different—it was a community defined by inclusivity and support. “What I loved was how amazingly friendly and supportive absolutely every single person was,” Jo recalls. “It didn’t matter what my speed was; I’d still be better than the person home on the sofa.”
Moving back to Queensland only deepened her appreciation for this community. Whether it was the laughter shared over post-swim curried egg sandwiches in Atherton or the warmth of the Mudcrabs, Jo realised she had found her tribe. She remembers the “beautiful ladies” on her relay teams—some in their 90s—who would meticulously plan their race exchanges to ensure everyone felt safe and included.
This spirit of adventure has led Jo to challenges she never thought possible, from the Magnetic Island swim to the Rottnest Island relay. “That’s thanks to these lovely people at Masters who keep saying, ‘Well, of course you can,'” she says. “I never thought I could, and they keep pushing me to the next thing.”
Training has also evolved for Jo over the years. She laughs when recalling childhood sessions in Cairns, where chlorine levels were so intense that coaches would walk the pool deck pouring milk into swimmers’ eyes to soothe the sting. Today, while training involves high-tech gear like clickers and parachutes, the core experience remains the same: coaching that balances the pursuit of excellence with genuine care.
As she looks toward the upcoming Nationals, Jo remains grounded in her original “why.” She doesn’t obsess over tracking her times or comparing herself to others; she swims for the challenge and the connection.
“My advice to new members is simple: Have a go,” Jo says. “It’s being part, being involved in the friendship and the fun.”
For Jo, that culture of kindness is the legacy she hopes the next generation of MSQ swimmers will carry forward for the next 50 years.
