Shepparton Swimming Club’s young golden trio has made a splash during the recent Australian Age and Open National Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast.
The championships took place from April 6 to 14 as Shepparton’s Branden Wilson, Kiera Shaw and Madison Heywood dived head first into the high-level competition.
In all their events — Wilson (200m, 100m and 50m breaststroke), Shaw (200m and 100m backstroke) and Heywood (200m, 100m and 50m breaststroke) — the three competitors achieved personal best times.
Head coach Leanne Houkes-Wilson said this was a goal the trio set before starting the championships.
“Madi and Kiera were both in aged competition, while Branden was in open competition, which was a bit harder because that’s not limited to an age group,” she said.
“In all the events that they participated in, they got personal best times.
“Madi was successful in making her first national final, which was for the 100m breaststroke and that was really exciting because that is what she had as one of her goals was to make it into a final.
“He (Wilson) PBd all his events as well and he finalled in all of his events, two as a reserve, and the third one in the 50m he was ninth going in, so he got to have a go at his first final.”
Aside from achieving personal bests and competing in a final, Wilson also achieved a third goal by qualifying for the upcoming Olympic trials for the men’s 100m breaststroke.
Houkes-Wilson said the whole club was proud of 19-year-old Wilson for qualifying for his first Olympic trials and was excited to support him in any way it could.
“He (Wilson) went a little bit faster than I was expecting, but that’s the type of racer he is; he pulls it together when it comes to racing,” she said.
“For him, leading up to Olympic trials, he was straight back into the water as soon as he got home (from nationals).
“Back into quite a heavy training load for the next three to four weeks, then we start to taper off to the Olympic trials, so he will go in with about a two-week taper.
“Kiera is having a break, just lightening her swimming load, but she is still getting in the pool because she is helping Branden train, which makes it easier for him to have someone in the water with him.
“There are a few kids who are taking it in turns to train in the pool with him, so he is not by himself, which has been really great, but the team is like that; they like to support one another.”
The other Shepparton Swimming Club athletes will have a break until May 13 before hopping back into the water to return to training.
Houkes-Wilson said the club was looking to capitalise on the excitement surrounding the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with Shepparton Swimming Club hoping to use the Games to attract children to the sport.
“With the Olympics on this year it is a great chance to do some come-and-try days,” she said.
“It’s great for people to see it is possible; you can come from Shepparton and still make it to that level and do really well, which they (the trio) have done.
“The kids have loved it and they have loved having someone get to Olympic trials because they look at it and say, ‘Wow, we can do it.’
“Exciting for Branden, but exciting for us as a club that it is happening.”
Wilson will head to Brisbane from June 10 to 15 to compete at the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials.
These trials will serve as the sole selection meet for Australia’s Paris 2024 Olympic swimming team.