Manly Swimming Club: Gold medal for women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team

Lily McPherson is just 13 — and the youngest competitor — at the Australian Open Swimming Championships, but she has helped win a gold medal for a northern beaches club.

A girl, at just 13, was part of a winning relay team from the northern beaches that grabbed gold at the 2022 Australian Open Swimming Championships.

Lily McPherson joined three adult teammates from the Manly Swimming Club to take out the women’s 4x100m relay title at Adelaide’s SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

And Lily, along with Charli Brown, 19, Georgina Seton 20 and 27-year old Lauren Wilson, also teamed up again to win Silver in the women's 4x100m medley relay at the national championships.

The Manly Swimming Club's women's 4x100m freestyle relay team who won gold at the Australian Open National Swimming Championships in Adelaide. (left to right) Lauren Wilson, Lily McPherson, Charli Brown and Georgina Seton. Picture: Manly Swimming Club

Officials and teammates at the club, based at the Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Manly Aquatic Centre, are still celebrating the freestyle relay win from last Thursday.

Lily, who goes to the Pittwater House School at Collaroy, was the youngest competitor in the Open division at the championships, which ran from May 18 to 22, after she qualified in the individual 50m freestyle and butterfly events.

Lily led off the team in the freestyle relay before handing over the Seton, who grew up near Picton, just southwest of Sydney and is studying to become a paramedic.

The Manly Swimming Club's women's 4x100m medley relay team who won silver at the Australian Open National Swimming Championships in Adelaide. (left to right) Charli Brown, Lauren Wilson, Georgina Seton and Lily McPherson. Picture: Manly Swimming Club

The third leg was swum by Wilson, a science teacher at Narrabeen Sports High, before Brown, from Frenchs Forest and an Australian junior swimming team member studying and swimming for Arizona State University in the United States, touched the wall first to win gold.

They won the Silver medals in the medley relay just 24 hours later.

Club president Matthew Paterson said on Monday that all four relay team members were ecstatic to win their first national Open gold medals.

They’re real gold: Manly Swimming Club's women's 4x100m freestyle relay team who won gold at the Australian Open National Swimming Championships in Adelaide. (left to right) Lauren Wilson, Lily McPherson, Charli Brown and Georgina Seton. Picture: Manly Swimming Club

“It’s been quite some time sine we won an Open national medal,” Mr Paterson said.

“All of them worked really hard. We sent 10 swimmers down to Adelaide altogether.

“Some them worked really hard just to make the qualifying times.

Georgina Seton, when she was a junior with the Campbelltown Swimming Club. Picture: supplied

Narrabeen Sports High School science teacher Lauren Wilson, who won relay gold a the national swimming championships. File picture: Tim Hunter.

Charli Brown, when she was 16 and about to make her debut in the Australian Junior swimming squad at the World Youth Swimming Championships. AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook

“I said to them at the team meeting before they went that no matter what the result, just to qualify for this meet is an achievement in itself.

“Whatever comes after that is a bonus.”

Mr Paterson said the relay gold had provided a great morale boost for the club as well as an inspiration to its younger members.

“There’s a real good buzz around the club.

“The younger kids can look up to not only the older girls in the team, but Lily as well.

“I think the bond those four girls have now will be infectious through the more junior ranks of the club.”