Junior swimming star Kyle Chalmers sets sights on senior ranks after winning School Sports Award
KYLE Chalmers has a simple theory on the progression from junior swimming star to senior medal contender.
KYLE Chalmers has a simple theory on the progression from junior swimming star to senior medal contender.
"I'm one of those people that just likes to chase down the person next to me whoever they are," he says.
The Glenelg North superfish capped a whirlwind year last month when he won the secondary section of the School Sports Awards.
Chalmers, 15, says following in the footsteps of past winners such as tennis star Lleyton Hewitt and international baseballer Stefan Welch is a "big honour".
"It would definitely be one of the biggest things I've received.
"I was pretty stoked with it."
The award, which is sponsored by Messenger Community News, came in a year Chalmers won five gold medals at the both the Australian Age Swimming Championships and the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships.
He also claimed his first international title when he won the 50m freestyle at the Japanese Junior Olympic Cup in August.
"Getting off the plane, you feel pretty tired, and then we had to train that night so at first it was pretty hard.
"Also the heat (was challenging), it was really, really hot the whole time we were over there."
Chalmers says moving from Norwood Swimming Club to Marion earlier this year to work under coaches Peter Bishop and Shelly Jarrett has been vital in his development.
The son of former Port Adelaide and Adelaide Crows ruckman Brett, he has also continued to play football, vying for a spot in Glenelg's under-16 team for next season.
"It takes your mind off the swimming.
"It's good to be able to do two different sports because one is obviously a team sport and one is individual."
Chalmers' next target is the State Long Course Championships in December where he will aim to qualify for the open nationals in March.
He says racing against men is helping him develop his competitive edge.
"It is challenging because you are in the same marshalling room as some of your heroes," he says.
"Diving into the pool next to them is a bit of a different experience to diving into the pool with people your own age.
"I'm just hoping to get into a couple of semi-finals so I can swim in the final sessions of some of the big meets."
Chalmers also hopes to qualify for the Youth Olympics in China in August and is aiming to break the 50 second barrier for the 100m long course freestyle.
While he did not consider himself a chance for next year's Glasgow Commonwealth Games, he says the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics remain his ultimate goal.
"I think I've got a couple more years of training and getting used to racing in big competitions before I get on to the really big stage.
"Rio is definitely one of the goals that me and my coaches have set for me - that would be a dream."