Australian swimmer Zac Stubblety-Cook was a reluctant water baby

Australian swimmer Zac Stubblety-Cook now stands tall in his sport, a Pan Pacs silver medallist. Commonwealth Games representative and recent Australian world championships selection. But he was a reluctant water baby.

Australian swimmer Zac Stubblety-Cook now stands tall in his sport, a Pan Pacs silver medallist. Commonwealth Games representative and recent Australian world championships selection.

But the graceful breaststroke exponent came from humble beginnings around the pool.

Indeed he was actually scared of the water when he first encountered the Wellers Hill State School pool as a child.

It is fair to say Stubblety-Cook, who lives in Nathan, was not a water baby.

“Mum probably threw me in for water safety,’’ Stubblety-Cook said.

“But I was scared of swimming.

Australian swimmer Zac Stubblety-Cook (AAP Image/Darren England)

“I have told kids I can still remember swimming the half lap and closing my eyes and head butting the wall,’’ the Anglican Church Grammar School past student said.

It is a far cry from his current standing in swimming.

Now Stubblety-Cook is positioning himself to make the Australian swimming team for the 2020 Olympic Games.

After tasting his first major international swim meet at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Stubblety-Cook powered to a 200m breaststroke silver medal at the Pan Pacs last August.

While that break through performance has given him confidence and a sense of belonging on the international stage, Stubblety-Cook knows all the hard work must continue.

He may have pipped teammate Matt Wilson that day at the Pan Pacs to claim a gold medal, but Wilson has fought back strongly since then.

Matthew Wilson congratulates Zac Stubblety-Cook last year. (AAP Image/Mark Brake)

In April Wilson claimed a 200m Commonwealth and Australian breaststroke record and at last week’s national trials Wilson was under world record pace for 175m of the 200m.

He hit the wall in 2:07.79, with Stubblety-Cook nipping at his heels all the way to the end.

Stubblety-Cook’s time of (2:08.54 was also under the world championship qualifying time of 2:08.80