Swimming success

The NSW All Schools Swimming Championships demonstrated excellent teamwork for Wenona swimmers, with six students claiming seven medals across multiple events and age groups – a testament to the depth and quality of our Swimming program.

The Senior Medley 4 x 50m Relay team of Ali (Year 11), Kira (Year 11), Anneliese (Year 8), and Taylah (Year 11), claimed gold in commanding fashion, while individual gold medals went to our Swimming Captain, Georgia (Year 12), in the Open MC 200m Freestyle – where she set a new All Schools Record – and Ali in the 17 Years 50m Freestyle.

Silver medals followed with Ali's excellent 17 Years 100m Freestyle and Georgia's powerful Open MC 100m Freestyle performances. Anneliese rounded out the medal tally with bronze in the 14 Years 50m Breaststroke, showcasing the team's strength across different strokes and age categories.

"Overall, it was a fantastic meet for all of us," reflected Georgia. "There were personal bests and plenty of top-three finishes, and we couldn't be prouder of our performances."

This success built on strong foundations laid two weeks earlier at the NSWCIS Championships, where seven swimmers had delivered an outstanding performance, collecting 11 medals, including five gold. That earlier meet saw Georgia triumph in the 16-19 Years MC 100m Freestyle, while the relay team proved its consistency with another gold medal performance.

The team's approach to preparation has been both strategic and demanding. Having returned from the Australian Age Championships in April, the swimmers made a conscious decision to maintain their training intensity rather than taper off for these meets. "We train to race under fatigue as that happens on a regular basis," Georgia noted, emphasising the year-round nature of competitive swimming.

Georgia was quick to acknowledge the coaching excellence from Director of Aquatics, Mr Michael Creighton, and Assistant Coach (Swimming), Ms Cristina Di Traglia, that has guided the team's success. She also emphasises the importance of prioritising a spirit of collective encouragement: “Both events were spread over two days across a two-week period, which made it challenging to watch each other race, as we often had to attend School before competing," she explained. "Still, whenever we were together – even if it was just a few of us – we made the most of it by celebrating each other's successes and cheering one another on."

Significantly, Georgia said the podium results at All Schools have secured further qualifications for Ali, Anneliese and herself at the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships in Brisbane in July: "We'll find out in the coming weeks if we've officially made the team and are thrilled at the possibility of representing our School on the national stage.”

For Georgia personally, this qualification represents the culmination of years of persistence. "After five years of just missing out with fourth-place finishes, this is my first time qualifying for School Sport Australia Swimming. For a while, I didn't think it was possible."

As the season progresses, there's also a poignant awareness among the senior swimmers: "These events are some of the last opportunities we will get to represent the School. We're just trying to soak up all the time we have left together, as it won't be the same next year."