My Speedos are snugger than they used to be.
I feel this as I slowly and painfully squeeze into them a few times a week after they had sat forgotten yet patient in my cupboard for five years.
My first training session to prepare for the Mudjimba Island Charity Swim in Cotton Tree Pool was funny and terrifying.
A bunch of awesome women came together to brave the coolish waters and tentatively start to train for the famed local swim that has been running for more than 20 years.
It is one of the most beautiful and epic fundraisers on the Coast, where people of all abilities swim from Mudjimba to Mooloolaba (shut up with your talk of sharks).
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All the money goes to the three special schools on the Coast.
I did a tour of Currimundi Special School and the kids are so happy and thriving.
But of course, the school needs more money to improve things.
The swim has raised $2 million over the two decades and paid for such important school upgrades as a tactile outdoor playground and special whiteboards.
The legends Ash Robinson (yes, our columnist) and journalist Bill Hoffman started the swim all those years ago.
This year, my buddy Caroline Hutchinson and I are swimming as part of our Mix FM radio team.
We both did the swim about 20 years ago.
Caroline is clearly pluckier than I am because she did the 11km sea challenge solo, whereas I was part of a team.
But there’s been a lot of water under the bridge and wine under the belts in those two decades.
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Our training sessions have been a mixture of laughter at how unfit we are and horror at the pain in our arms as we try to propel our middle-aged bodies through the water.
Caroline and I are not aiming to break Olympic records, but we just want to give it a crack and raise awareness and some money for the kids at the special schools.
Every day and night is tough for many of those beautiful souls so if we are cold, then that is okay.
It is only a few hours of discomfort before we will be on the beach having a hot cup of coffee (or maybe something stronger) laughing at ourselves.
The swim starts at Mudjimba on May 13 and we expect to take four hours to glide (splutter) into Mooloolaba Spit.
If you want to donate, I would be eternally grateful. Go to Island Charity Swim – Sami and wish us luck.
Sami Muirhead is a radio announcer, blogger and commentator. For more from Sami, tune into Mix FM.
