Aidan makes waves at nationals

NORTHERN Rivers aqua athletes shows a return to form at the 2018 Australian Short Course Championships in Melbourne.

AQUA MAN: Lismore Workers Swim Team athlete Aidan Yourell is back on track to his competitive best after extensive surgery and training he competed at the 2018 Australian short course Championships in Melbourne. Picture: Supplied

AFTER two hip operations, 12 weeks in bed recovering and months of training, one Northern Rivers aqua athlete is back in the competitive pool.

Lismore Workers Swim Team member, Aidan Yourell, 19, showed he's man of steel when he competed at the 2018 Australian Short Course Championships in Melbourne on the weekend.

While Yourell did not get on the podium, he said for him was an affirmation he's back on track to his competitive best.

"It was an incredible experience and exciting to be back competing at the that level,” he said.

"I swan the 100m of freestyle, backstroke and butterfly and the 50m events of the same strokes.”

Yourell who has cerebral palsy, competes in the S10 multiclass category.

He said when he looked at the hurdles he has had to overcome in 2018, he was pleased with his performances,

"Given the year have I have so far with training and delays, I was really happy with the times,” he said.

"While I did not get any PBs (personal bests) to get so close was phenomenal.”

Yoursell explained that after having extensive surgery on both hip joints, he spenta long three months in bed recovering.

"I'm still doing weekly rehabilitation which includes pilates,” he said.

"So I am building up and hope by mid-November to be back up to nine training sessions a week.”

For Yourell, the buzz of competition is what drives him to put so much chlorinated water time into his schedule.

"Staring at the black line for so many hours a week can be mind-numbing,” he said.

"I love competing at the highest level and to do that you have to do all the hard work and the training.”

As Yourell puts himself through the training required for the 2019 Australian Short Course Championships, he said he will concentrate on the backstroke and the butterfly events.

Meanwhile, he is also balancing study and work.

"At the moment I work at the RSL in Evans Head mainly glassing while I study part-time for my Batchelor of Nursing,” he said.

"On weekends I'm a volunteer surf life saver at Evans Head-Casino SLSC, I love being a volunteer.”