Her Views on Swimming and Mr. Coira's Wart

Those who were fastidious enough to attend a recent swimming club weekly meeting were given a unique treat. The committee had arranged for Miss Mona Leydon, New Zealand's 440 and 220 yards woman champion to be present. Miss Leydon swam in a 220 scratch invitation race and a 100 yards backstroke race, winning both in face of stiff opposition from picked men from the University and Hut; Clubs. "Salient" interviewed Miss Ley don and her interim chaperon, Mr. P. Coira.

"I suppose you want to know my age and place of birth?" smiled Mr. Coira.

"And any birthmarks." suggested "Salient."

"Well." said Mr. Coira. "I do possess a most unusual birthmark. Look!" Mr. Coirs poked out his tongue.

"Salient" gazed goggle-eyed.

"Yes," said Mr. Coira: "wart on the tongue. There's only one other person in New Zealand's got that."

"What is your relation to Miss Leydon?" asked "Salient"

"Don't be lewd!" replied Mr. Coira. "As a matter of fact. I'm the North Island representative of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. Part of my job is to meet all these damn swimmers and look after them while they're in the village."

"Miss Leydon's success is due to consistent training and consistent endeavour. One of her legs is, as you know, paralysed, and after taking up swimming as a curative measure, she managed, despite this grave disability, to become New Zealand's premier lady swimmer."

Miss Leydon.

Miss Leydon, a charming and sincerely pleasant lass, was rather bashful when "Salient" interviewed her.

"Oh, I don't know anything about swimming," she said.

"Well, what do you know about Mr. Coira's wart?" asked "Salient."

"Oh, I thought when I saw it first this morning that it was something he'd had for breakfast!"

When "Salient had recovered from this, we asked. "What is the main characteristic of modern crawl swimming?"

"Bilateral breathing." answered Miss Leydon. "You breathe every third stroke, so that a breath is taken on the left and right sides alternately. This method increases stamina greatly."

"How do you tike these baths?"

"Fit for a king. You must have a terrible lot of fun at these club nights—there's such a nice crowd here. It's much better than Auckland."

"What was the most thrilling thing in your recent trip to the Empire Games?"

"Getting the Silver Fern on my blazer, I suppose it means as much as a 'Varsity Blue does to you. I say, who's that boy standing over by the board. Isn't he nice looking?"

"What is your method of training?"

"In training for the quarter mile, I swim 600 yards night and morning, the first 440 as fast as I can go, and the remaining distance at a more leisurely pace."

Take note, Salamanca swimmers!