Bathurst swimmer Collette Lyons dominated at the Swimming New South Wales 10-12 Years State Age Championships, taking home five medals.
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During the championships at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) from December 9-10, Lyons collected three gold medals – 100 metre breaststroke, 200 metre breaststroke and 200 metre individual medley – and two silver medals – 200 metre freestyle and 100 meter butterfly.
Those results put Lyons among some of the most talented swimmers at her age level in Australia.
The 11-year-old, who trains at Kinross Wolaroi Swim Club in Orange with her sister Lauren, said she was “very happy” with the result and said it’s good for training to pay off.
“There was some tough competition,” Lyons said.
“I had to work for the win and I won by six seconds in the medley.”
Lyons trains seven times a week and sometimes trains eight times a week on top of her schooling.
Her mother, Theresa, said it has been a team effort for Lyons in managing her medal achievements.
“It has been a family effort and without the support of Lauren, her dad and all the [Kinross Wolaroi Swim Club] squad, she would not have achieved what she has,” she said.
“Mum’s the taxi driver, while dad’s the bill payer.
“I’m incredibly proud [of Collette] because it’s a tough sport.
“I don’t know if I could get up at 5am and then go to school and give up so much social life.”
While the 2024 Summer Olympics and future Commonwealth Games may be long term targets for Lyons, the next five years will be crucial in whether she will commit to swimming or not.
“It gets really tough when you get to high school, having to make choices with homework and peer pressure,” Theresa Lyons said.
“So far she’s has been able to achieve on natural talent but it’s up to her where she goes.
“She has good temperament in competitions where she can rise to the occasions and not get too absorbed in the moment or the crowd.
“It’s up to her if she wants to keep the desire going and keep on competing.
“She has a good support network and has been swimming competitively since she was eight.”
Lyons has been swimming since she was four. Not wanting to wear water floaties like other children at her age, she would swim after her sister, paddling like a dog.
Lyons has been coached by Kim Taylor.
