Lucy returns home for dream job as new Bluewater manager
Published on 22 May 2018
Lucy returns home for dream job as new Bluewater manager
Lucy Vesey grew up swimming laps and eating her breakfast at Bluewater in Colac and now, after a lot of hard work and dedication, she’s landed her dream job as the centre’s new manager.
“Being from Colac, I grew up here at the centre after joining the swimming club in 2000 and since then Bluewater has really been a second home to me. I love the people, I love the facilities and I love the environment here,” she said.
“To me Bluewater is not just a pool, gym or stadium – it’s also a community place where people can enjoy a coffee, sit in the warm water pool with their friends and mix socially while maintaining a happy, healthy lifestyle.
“Part of what I’m excited about with my new role is giving more people the opportunity to have experiences like I had growing up here and making sure Bluewater is a service that offers something for everyone.”
Ms Vesey said a friend introduced her to swimming in primary school and it quickly became a big part of her life.
“I was an active member of the Colac swimming club for 15 years and grew up swimming laps early in the morning and eating my breakfast here after training,” she said.
“It was a lot of fun and hard work and I still have claim to fame for holding the fastest 50m freestyle time for a female in the club’s history. I also made it to the national titles a couple of times swimming against the likes of Cate Campbell and Emily Seebohm.
“My swimming career is where I found my love of the pool and I was fortunate enough to turn it into a career.”
Ms Vesey first began focusing on her career in the leisure industry through voluntary work as a swim club coach. She later became a swim school instructor and lifeguard and continued to work casually at the centre while working full time in pharmacy.
She said in 2011 she became a full time Senior Lifeguard at Bluewater and spent three years in the role before the centre underwent its major redevelopment.
“That time gave me the opportunity to work in other areas of Colac Otway Shire, including public relations, environment, COPACC, OHS and recreation, so that was great experience for me,” she said.
“Following the redevelopment I went back to Bluewater as the aquatics team leader and had experience as the aquatics coordinator before moving to Corangamite Shire to manage its outdoor pools and stadiums for 18 months.
During that time I never stopped working casually at Bluewater – so I’ve been here in some professional capacity for almost 10 years.”
Ms Vesey said she was excited to have secured the manager’s role at Bluewater last month and was buoyed by the challenge of applying her skills to all aspects of the centre’s operations.
“There are a lot of people who have been here for a long time and that’s testament to what a great place it is – both for its staff and patrons,” she said.
“I’m really enjoying a current project to transition the gym into a 24/7 facility. It’s a big project that can help more and more people in our community take advantage of the facilities at a time that suits them.
“But I’m also focused on the little things that can make a different to our members and patrons, such as making sure that everyone receives a smile and a welcome when they walk in the front door.”
Ms Vesey said it was important the facilities were relevant to everyone from elite athletes, through to those looking for social connection and personal wellness.
“I love this place because it’s great for my fitness and health, but also because it’s part of our community and provides people with great social outcomes. That’s a part of health that often isn’t focused on a lot, but Bluewater does it really well which is fantastic for our community.”