Albany senior Chris Offer needs no encouragement to get out of bed on a Friday.
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Every week, the 81-year-old treks across the road from her house to Middleton Beach to join a gaggle of grannies taking to the surf.
They are known as the 'granny grommets' and have been surfing together as a group, on their body boards, for the past 23 years.
"For me, I am always running out to catch the next wave as if it is the last one of the day," Ms Offer said.
What started as a retirement hobby has now become a bit of an obsession.
On the other days of the week, Ms Offer can be found swimming in the ocean with her 'southern salties' group that meets every day of the year, regardless of the water temperature or often adverse ambient South Coast weather conditions.
Ms Offer said to join the granny grommets you needed to be more than 50-years-old, have basic water safety skills and always be up for a laugh.
She is known as an OG (original) and an OBE (over bloody eighty).
Ms Offer became an ocean swimmer and surfer late in life, having grown up inland on a farm in Mt Barker.
Her original path to having a career in nursing was disrupted by a dentist visit that resulted in a job offer, followed by the chance meeting with Keith Offer.
"I did two years working at the dentist surgery in Mt Barker, then went to Perth for a couple of years and then got married," she said.
"After we were married, we eventually went farming at west Kendenup - initially living in the shearers' quarters - so there was not a lot of swimming to be had.
"We farmed at Kendenup until we retired to Albany in 2000."
Ms Offer said initially they found retirement hard, leaving the farm and not having a firm structure to the day.
"Keith especially had a hard transition without set jobs to do," she said.
"Luckily we had both played a lot of sport, including golf and tennis, so we could continue that in Albany.
"And we did the stereotypical thing of buying a caravan and started travelling around Australia.
"I think we have now crossed the Nullarbor Plain a dozen times.
"Last month we were able to pack up and go to Margaret River while I recovered from a COVID infection.
"It is great to be so mobile and flexible while we are physically able to enjoy travelling."
Ms Offer said swimming was a great form of exercise when she had to give up some other sports.
She and a friend joined the over-50s group in Albany soon after arriving in the town.
This group organised social outings and activities such as cycling mornings, book club and volunteering.
Its members suggested Albany could have a group that could learn to surf.
The over-50s group organised local legend Tony Harrison to give them surfing lessons, and he can still be found with the granny grommets on most Friday mornings.
Other than that, this group is strictly for women only.
The granny grommets started with six over-50s and now have more than 100 members, including 10 core members who are more than 80-years-old.
About 40-50 members take to the surf each week during the summer months.
This tends to drop to about 20-30 during winter, when many members are away travelling north to warmer climes.
"We are still getting interest from people wanting to join and a lot of that comes down to having Mr Harrison involved," Ms Offer said.
"He is the glue that holds the group together."
Ms Offer said the Southern Ocean could get cold, but they wore wetsuits to match the conditions.
"In the winter, we lose the Leeuwin Current and the water drops to about 12 degrees Celsius," she said.
"But some still get out there and swim every day and surf every week.
"Some of the group members do 'dry July' when they don't swim, but most of us go in year-round.
"When I am in town, I go religiously."
Ms Offer said some days she lacked motivation to get into the cold water, but loved the feeling of having achieved the swim after getting out.
"There is no such thing as a bad swim," she said.
"And we are spoiled at Middleton Beach because there are hot showers at the Albany Surf Life Saving Club."
Ms Offer said there were several retired farmer's wives who were members of the granny grommets, but it was great to also get to know women from a wide range of other professional backgrounds.
"It is good for networking," she said.
Ms Offer took up swimming lessons in her 60s to get some style into her stroke before joining the group.
"When we were on the farm there wasn't much chance of getting to the beach, so I did not have a refined technique," she said.
Ms Offer was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma several years ago and said swimming was a great part of her overall therapy and recovery.
"Some of that was just being involved with the granny grommets," she said.
"They are very caring and supportive.
"When I was having chemotherapy, members would pop in most days.
"And we celebrate every birthday.
"It is such an invigorating way to start the day and it is all about fun, with no meetings or agendas or any work to do.
"We have worked hard all our lives, so it is our time to be having fun."
