If you are looking for a welcoming smile and an inspiring example of dedication, you will likely find it with featured member Brian Peate. Known for his incredible consistency and his deep appreciation for the local pool community, Brian has become a familiar, friendly face at Sans Souci Leisure Centre.
A Perfect Fit Close to Home
Brian’s journey at Sans Souci started when he was looking for a reliable, convenient pool to keep up his swimming.
“I was previously at Botany Aquatic Centre, but it closed for winter, I went to Des Renford for a bit, but I moved to Brighton-Le-Sands. So one morning, I got up and the school carnivals were on. I looked and I went, ‘Oh God, forget this.’ So I came here! And then I just went, ‘There you go, now I’ll come here all the time.”
While the proximity to home brought him through the doors, it is the intimate atmosphere and sense of connection that keeps him coming back.
“I love that when you walk outside, it’s open, but it also feels intimate. People say hello and have a yarn with you, at a lot of other places, that doesn’t happen. There’s a real sense of familiarity and community. I love it when staff at the front desk greet you by name before you’ve even introduced yourself. No one wants to just be a number.”
I do like it when you walk outside, it's open. It's also… intimate. It's nice when you're walking here, there's people that say hello, they have a yarn with you. A lot of other places that doesn't happen. We all sort of seem to know each other, and there's that real sort of sense of familiarity, it's a sense of community. One thing I do like is, when you get greeted at the front desk by someone, then they call you by your name. You haven't had a conversation with them. You haven't introduced yourself or anything. And they say, “Good morning Brian”.
The Power of 1,000+ Days of Consistency
What keeps Brian motivated day in, day out? An incredible daily streak that recently passed 1,008 days in a row of swimming, never doing less than a mile a day.
“Honestly? Guilt!” laughs Brian. “Once you get to so many in a row, why would you stop? It’s going to have to be something that forces me to stop, I reckon. It’s not hard, just keep going. Just consistency. I’ve done plenty of stints in the past. Years ago, 100 days in a row was one. I swam every day at Des Renford before they closed for the winter, that was like 287 days. In 2023, I said to myself that I’d never done a full calendar year. So on Boxing Day 2023, I started. I got through, and when I woke up on New Year’s Day 2024, I said, ‘What am I going to do now? I guess I’ll go for a swim.’ It just kept going!
Community & Advice for Fellow Members
For anyone wanting to make fitness a permanent and natural part of their lifestyle, Brian’s advice is warmly straightforward:
“You can’t come once. You come three or four times in a week, or in a fortnight, and just come meet the people here. I’m sure you’ll run into someone you’ll be able to have a conversation with.”
When routines feel stagnant or members feel hesitant to step out of their comfort zone, Brian recommends focusing on showing up first thing in the morning.
“Consistency is the key. Even if you don’t feel like doing something, just come and do it,” he suggests. “Most people plan on doing a kilometre, and even if you can’t do that, do half of that, 500 metres or eight laps, and you’re done. If you’re here every day, you’re doing something. Active rest is better than nothing. Just keep going and don’t let anything get in your way. Make it the first thing you do every day, get it out of the way, and then for the rest of the day, your exercise is done!”
Next time you see Brian down at the pool, be sure to say hello and congratulate him on his incredible milestone!