Anne Walker to take on 2024 Masters Swimming Australia National Championships

The Masters Swimming National Championships are just seven days away, and one Territory swimmer is keen to break some of her own records at the age of 86. Read her story.

Anne Walker, 86, is hoping to break some of her own records when she takes to the pool in the National Championships. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Anne Walker is one of the NT’s oldest swimmers set to take on the Masters Swimming Australia National Championships next week, and at 86, she isn’t slowing down.

Ms Walker currently holds the record times for all the freestyles distances, a couple of backstrokes and the 200m medley in her age category.

It comes off a stunning championships in Cairns in 2023 where she took home seven golds and a silver as the swimmer of the meet.

It was a journey she never would have taken if not for her late husband Alan Walker, the namesake of Darwin’s Cancer Care Centre.

Her swimming and surfing partner finally convinced her to take up the sport when she finished work in 1995, and she’s loved the sport and her club, Darwin Stingers, ever since.

“Fortunately he persevered and I’ve been swimming with the Stingers since 1995, and I really love it,” she said.

“It was like therapy to me when I lost my husband, the club were very encouraging, they’re a wonderful group of people and the coaches have been amazing.

“We all support one another here and we are all wonderful friends and we’ll be doing the journey together.”

Anne Walker, 86, is hoping to break some of her own records when she takes to the pool in the National Championships. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

This year’s national championships is the first the NT has hosted since 2007, with the region missing out on a proposed champs due to Covid.

And with its return Ms Walker hopes to show some of the southern visitors just what the NT swimmers can do.

“I’m excited for it, I’ve signed up for all the freestyle distances as that’s my strong stroke,” she said.

“I’ve been lucky as a swimmer, I do hold the records in my age group for all the freestyles, some of the backstroke and the 200m medley, and I’m going to try and break them this year.”

Swimming has grown massively in recent years across the Top End with the Stingers, a club for masters swimmers aged 18 and up, growing in particular.

Anne Walker, 86, is hoping to break some of her own records when she takes to the pool in the National Championships. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“When I joined it was a very small club, and now we’ve got more than 100 members and there must be about 30 odd really keen and active members,” Walker said.

“All the juniors coming through is great, they are very helpful to us and are a bit surprised about what we oldies can still do.

“We all have the same outlook – when you’re my age you’ve got to move it or lose it, we all want to keep healthy and we want to keep moving.

“It’s been a wonderful journey, has broadened my horizons and has given me a lot of confidence in myself and I encourage any young ones to come on board.”

The event takes place at the Parap Pool from May 3 to May 6, while the open water swim will take place the Darwin Waterfront Lagoon on May 7.

Originally published as Anne Walker to take on 2024 Masters Swimming Australia National Championships