In October 1990, the club was inspired by John Fay to run a relay meet with the aim of having fun! So like all good clubs, a committee which included Martin Brinck, Fran Gansell, Monique Rodahl and Murray Bell was formed to plan the event. John Fay donated $500 prize money and John Williams donated a trophy (a toilet seat) for the event winner. There were also spot prizes arranged as well and the entry fee was $5.

On the 08 February 1991 after four months of planning and preparation, the inaugural TOGGS relay meet was held at the Parnell Baths. The event had 10 relays with the highlight being the "Pyjama Race". This entailed each member swimming in a pair of pyjamas which were swapped between swimmers at each end. Much fun but always competitive! This inaugural relay meet was won by the North Shore Masters swim club, much to the dismay of the TOGGS team however they were rewarded the following year. The club ran his event annually until the last one in 1996, which was held at the Olympic Pool in Newmarket. The club also continued to be the winner of the event as well. Hard to beat with someone like Monique Rodahl in your team!

On the 2nd May 1996, the club changed lanes from the Teps to the Olympic Pool, Newmarket. This brought about a change in coaching, where the club tapped into the services of Hilton Brown Swimming and the world-renowned triathlete, now turned swimming coach, Rick Wells.

Another club event that started with the move to the Newmarket was the Annual Goat Island Swim. An all-day affair with a swim fast or scenic depending on how you felt on the day, followed by a lounge on the beach before heading off to the Sawmill for dinner.

In 2007 the club changed its name to Newmarket Masters Swimming Club. It had been 10 years since the club had left the Teps, which was the inspiration for the TOGGS name and logo. In 2009 the new logo was introduced, which is a more Newmarket and water-like image. Although it hasn't made it onto club attire as yet as the frog logo did, it is useful for the website and club notices.

This memoir is just a snippet of the history of the club, but a reflection I hope you will enjoy reading. It is a milestone to be celebrated and reflected upon. It was written by Ann Browett, NMSC secretary with information gathered from club records such as newsletters, membership records, meeting minutes and club correspondence, as well as conversations with Martin Brinck, John Fay and Anne Brenan.

This history was first published in the NZ Masters Newsletter Masterscrawl in December 2009.