Millie in swimming nationals

Millie’s selection follows her impressive performances at the Victorian state championships at the Melbourne Sports Aquatic Centre Albert Park six weeks ago, where she competed in 11 races over 50, 100 and 200m distances.

“Millie certainly has a lot of drive and passion, and is not afraid of hard work which is why she qualified for the nationals,” Yarrawonga Mulwala Swimming Club head coach Lyndon Hart said.

“Her best times for 50m butterfly is 30.8 seconds and she’ll be looking to crack the 30s. Her best for backstroke is 32.64, she’ll be looking to go high 31s and looking to get lower than her best of 29.35 for freestyle.

“Millie’s times are impressive. She’s been beating her best times about every second meet.”

With minimal standards which must be attained to qualify for the nationals, the number of competitors for the aged 13s total 188 in freestyle, 79 in backstroke and 90 in butterfly.

Hart has been coaching Millie for the past 12 months and Kevin White beforehand, for some two years, all before Millie commenced school at MLC this year.

“When she comes home on holidays she trains at our pool. Continued development of swimming technique is very important,” Hart said.

The former Yarrawonga College P-12 student, now in her first year at Methodist Ladies College, Kew in Melbourne, has very much appreciated the coaching of both local coaches, under whom she has learnt and improved.

“I love swimming because it’s rewarding. There’s a pool 25 metres at school and I train four times a week and at the Hawthorn pool once a week,” the Year 8 student and daughter of Kym and Adam, of Yarrawonga, told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.

Millie said her “Gramps” – Grandpa Ken – was a good swimmer.

“Millie was a water baby, since she was about three months old,” Ken said.

“She’s always loved jumping into a pool.”

The head coach concluded: “The club wishes Millie all the success and the club is proud of her.”