THE figures they make in the water; the music to which they perform; their routines, and the show they put on may be entertaining and spectacular, but “the bottom line is that it’s hard work”, said chairman of Synchro Stars Synchronised Swim Club, Diahann Campbell.

Campbell was speaking with the Observer as the group of young synchronised swimmers prepares for trials to select a team for the Carifta Swimming Championships.

Two groups — one from the Island Aquatics and the other from Synchro Stars — will be vying for spots on the national team for the April 3-6 meet.

Synchronised swimming was introduced to Jamaica just over a decade ago and Campbell is on a drive to help popularise the sport which is often seen as elitist.

A lot of effort is also being placed on making the sport more structured to help raise its profile locally and by extension, improve the way Jamaican synchronised swimming is perceived internationally.

“I’ve been asked exactly what is synchronised swimming and the sport has been around for many years, so it tells you that it has not been out there,” she said.

“If we can get the sport out there, Jamaica will have a chance,” Campbell told the Observer.

She said individuals should not be hesitant to get involved because they think they have the wrong type of body for the sport.

“We all have the body type for synchronised swimming, it’s just that some of us have to work harder,” Campbell said.

“There are exercises you can do to stretch your body, to make your body more agile in the water, and this is what the sport does and it translates well to competitive swimming and everything else.”

The group recently competed at the St Paul Stars Invitational meet in St Paul, Minnesota, winning four gold medals.

Meanwhile, Campbell said emphasis is placed on a holistic approach and helping swimmers maintain a healthy body image and eat properly as well.

“We constantly check with them. We have parent sessions asking what the child is eating. We know it’s out there, but we constantly police and speak, and from that we haven’t got anything negative as yet,” she stated.

After making a plea for help, Synchro Stars has been able to acquire the services, at a heavily subsidised cost, of three foreign coaches who have come to Jamaica to help train the young girls.

The coaches stay with families in Jamaica and are paid a modest salary, but Campbell says the improvement has been remarkable.

“What we’ve done in six months normally takes the average synchronised swimmer two years to accomplish, but because it’s exciting, they’re still happy about it and we’re getting results,” she said.

The final analysis will be done at the trials for the Carifta Championships today at the Bournemouth Bath in East Kingston.