Swimmers battle it out for place on Commonwealth Games team
FOUR southeast swimmers will battle it out for a place on the Australian Commonwealth Games team.
Southern Courier
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FOUR southeast swimmers will battle it out for a place on the Australian Commonwealth Games team.
Stuart Swinburn, 16, of Coogee, Mascot’s Madelaine Casswell, 17, Erwan LePechoux, 18, of Redfern and Bondi’s Cameron Harkins, 21, will compete in the national trials in Queensland starting on February 28 ahead of the Games in April.
“It’s really exciting,” Swinburn, from Coogee, said. “To be able to race against the best guys in the country will be a great experience.”
“Realistically to make the team is a bit of a long shot,” Casswell said.
“I’m going there to improve my times and have fun and see what happens.”
“It’s the first time I have been part of such a big meet,” LePechoux said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The quartet live a disciplined life, training at the UNSW pool in Randwick eight times a week. They also do multiple gym sessions and adhere to a strict diet.
Harkins’ achievements are the most remarkable.
“I’ve got epilepsy. I’m not meant to be left in the bath alone, let alone a swimming pool,” he said. “I’ve got to be more aware of my limits and make sure there is always somebody looking out for me.”
Coach Bruce Vyvyan said Harkins suffered absence seizures frequently. “He will be swimming and then all of a sudden his head will pop up and he’ll go ‘what’s going on, where am I?’ It’s great he’s made it to this level, it’s inspiring.”