The club started around 1985 as a summer team named the Bowmanville Swim Team, under volunteer coach Carol Gonder. In 1987, it incorporated and switched to a winter club called the Newcastle Aquatic Club (NEWAC) with volunteer coaches. In 1995 the name of the club was changed to the Clarington Swim Club, in 1996 the call letters were changed to ROC (Racers of Clarington).
In 1989, with a membership of 35 swimmers, professional coach Karen Hillis was hired.
The club won its Division III (then called Quad A) Championship in April 1992 and has, almost continuously placed within the middle of Division II. The competitive group membership has risen from an initial 35 to an all time-high of 100 in 1998. In the last decade, membership has averaged around 50 competitive swimmers.
The club has consistently produced swimmers at the Age Group Provincial, Senior Provincial, Youth/Junior National, Eastern Canada and Senior National levels. Several athletes have secured full or partial scholarships to swim at university. An inordinate number of our swimmers become team captains on their university teams.