By Alesha Capone
For young swimmer Tara, her success in the pool is more than just a stroke of good luck – it involves hard work, dedication and plenty of training.
Tara, 16, is a member of the Hoppers Crossing Swimming Club and attends Wyndham Central College.
She recently competed in the annual School Sports Swimming Championships in Hobart, taking part in four individual freestyle events, across 50, 400, 800 and 1500 metres.
She placed first in the 800 metres, finishing with a personal best time of 9:07:09, 3.06 seconds faster than her previous fastest time.
She came second in the 1500 metres, fifth in the 400 metres and 14th in the 50 metres.
In April, she notched up two firsts at the School Sports Victoria State Swimming Championships and she has won a swag of medals from other competitions.
“I train seven times a week in the pool, plus one gym session,” Tara said. “I have to get up at 5am on both Wednesday and Friday for a 5.30 start.
“I enjoy the challenge and the pain that comes along with swimming – that sounds crazy, but the reward at the end is really worth it.”
Hoppers Crossing Swimming Club head coach Ken Warren, who has been training Tara since she was 11, describes her as “a talented young swimmer”.
“Tara’s accomplishments are from her efforts toward her training,” he said.
“‘No pain, no gain’ – this is a motto that Tara lives by.”
