Nepean Aquatic Centre Swim Club is building champions

Local children go from water babies to national athletes!

Nepean Aquatic Centre Swim Club, in conjunction with Nepean Aquatic Centre and Eva Borys Swim School, is building champions – with many athletes recently competing at both state and national levels having started swimming in the learn to swim programs at both facilities. Many of the athletes began as water babies at around 6 months of age and have not left the water since! It’s been an exciting few months for our swim school graduates, now young athletes in their own right, and state champions at recent swim meets.

In January a touring team of 16 athletes travelled to compete at the South Australia State Championships in Adelaide. They were Jack Benson (14), Thomas Gardiner (14), Jack Hanrahan (13), Oskar Staniucha (13), Lucas Bentley (13), Lachlan Hanrahan (10), Abbey Slaughter (16), Lauren Wolsey (14), Hannah McPherson (14), Coral Bullard (14), Charlotte Forti (12), Jordan Amies (12), Maddison Joines (12), Tanna Davey (10), Kiani Slaughter (10) & Teagan Hinds (10). Many of these young swimmers had also competed in the NSW State Age Championships at SOPAC, Homebush, in December, joined also by team mates Abbi Williams (17), Kyron Deacon-Chilmaid (17), Ella Merchant (16), Blair Williams (15), Keisha Deacon-Chilmaid (14) Alyssa Proctor (13), Kody Stark-Szabo (13), Ryan Slaughter (12), Chloe Williams (11), Anique Pantazakos (11) & Chloe Kimmings (10).

Our swimmers achieved great result at both meets, including a total of 5 gold medals. The South Australia meet saw 3 of our young athletes win 4 Gold medals between them, with Jack Benson winning the 50 and 100 meter Freestyle events, Oskar Staniucha winning the 50 meter Breaststroke and Abbey Slaughter winning the 400 meter individual medley, as well as the 200 Butterfly at the NSW State Age Championships.

A further group of 6 swimmers travelled to SA the following week to test their swimming skills away from the pool environment at for the Australian Open Water Age Championships held at Brighton Beach in Adelaide. Representing NACSC in the Nationals (5km swim) were Kyron Deacon-Chilmaid (17), Kayla Bentley (16), Keisha Deacon-Chilmaid (14) & Jack Hanrahan (13). Representing in the JX category (2.5km swim) were Lucas Bentley (13) and Bethany Mavin (12), who came in at 6th male and 8th female to cross the finish line in their category. The same 6 team members had also competed in the NSW State Open Water Championships at Penrith’s Sydney International Regatta Centre in December.

Over 50% of the athletes competing in the above events have been swimming with Nepean Aquatic Centre or Eva Bory’s Swim School since they were babies or toddlers – a fact that we are incredibly proud of, as well as being incredibly proud of these young and talented home grown swimming talents and their recent results.