Heart of the Nation: Balmoral 2088

PHOTOGRAPHER Ian English was a decathlete in his youth, but he laughs at the idea of extreme physical exercise these days.

swim

PHOTOGRAPHER Ian English was a decathlete in his youth - he represented NSW in the late '60s - but he laughs at the idea of extreme physical exercise these days, citing his age, 66, and the fact that he has "a bit of a tummy" now.

Still, his athletic past serves him well in his current vocation. The key to making arresting images of sports, he says, is to get close to the action.

Getting close to the action at last year's Balmoral Swim in Sydney Harbour meant wading up to his waist with his Nikon D700 and a camera bag containing four lenses - all up, worth about 15 grand - and waiting for the start. "It felt a bit dodgy," says English, who lives in Castle Hill, "but I got the shot I wanted." Indeed, his photo brilliantly captures the sense of forward momentum as contestants hit the water, the action frozen by a 1000th-of-a-second shutter speed.

The annual Balmoral Swim was conceived 23 years ago by some hardy souls who swim at this North Shore beach every day at dawn, winter and summer. Says co-founder Peter Ellis: "We'd all done a few organised ocean swims and we thought, 'We've got a wonderful beach here, we should showcase it and raise money for a good cause'." This year's event, to be held tomorrow, aims to raise $200,000 for children's cancer charities. It sounds like a big ask - but then, around a thousand competitors will enter the main race, a 1km dash around a set of buoys extending far out into Middle Harbour. So many people take part, they have to stagger the starts according to age groups; the youngest swimmers will be under 10, and the oldest over 80.

It's a running start from the beach, and everyone has their own technique for the critical transition to the water. Some dive early, while others do a peculiar aquatic goose-step. For the young guns, Ellis says, "We say 'go' and it's a five-metre dash across the sand and then a mad scramble to get into the water." And for those who are seasoned by years and experience? "It's more like a leisurely wander."