Rising Australian swimmer Minna Atherton started her swimming in the Milton State School pool

Nestled between historic Milton State School’s buildings and a retaining wall, metres below street level, is a four-lane wide, 25 yard pool which gave a budding Australian champion her start. It is there Minna Atherton first dived into competition swimming.

Nestled between historic Milton State School’s buildings and a retaining wall, metres below street level, is a four-lane wide, 25 yard pool which gave a budding Australian champion her start.

It is there Minna Atherton first dived into competition swimming.

“My primary school PE teacher suggested I start training, and I did,.’’ Atherton recalled.

Atherton, 18, a Brisbane Girls Grammar past student, is now an Australian Dolphins member and a Commonwealth Games representative.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School past student Minna Atherton.

She is also a bronze medallist from December’s FINA World Swimming Championships (short course).

Coached by David Lush at the Brisbane Grammar Swimming Club, Atherton claimed a podium finish in the 100m backstroke.

“It has given me some confidence going into this year,’’ she reflected.

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When Atherton first started swimming at Milton State School, some “natural talent” kept her going until she started “trainingproperly’’ in around year six or seven.

It was after she won the school nationals late in primary school that her training “went up a gear’’, and that is when shemoved to Girls Grammar and joined Lush’s squad.

“I have been training with him for eight years and he has been really good,’’ Atherton said.

Also benefiting Atherton is training with Australian swim great and fellow backstroker Emily Seebohm.

The Milton State School pool

“It has been really great. It gives me someone to race against at training and some to look up to,’’ Atherton said.

“She just gives her best every training sessions. Emily is a really good trainer. She is one of the best.

“She has been on the team so long and just gives the whole squad support.’’

Atherton’s next big assignment is the open nationals in April.