Swimming

Jaimi Arthur-Newman, Co-ordinator of Swimming

School Sport Australia Aquatic Games

From Monday 28 July to Thursday 31 July, eight of our Pymble girls proudly represented the school at the 2025 School Sport Australia 13 to 19 Years Aquatic Games, held in Brisbane.

The team was welcomed by warm, sunny weather that set a positive tone from the very first day. The atmosphere on pool deck was energetic and full of team spirit, with fast-paced heats in the mornings and outstanding performances in the finals. The week was not only about results but also full of learning, team bonding, and fun both in and out of the water.

The Pymble team tackled a demanding and exciting competition schedule, qualifying for 17 individual events and achieving an incredible 17 top 10 finishes, including nine individual medals. Many of our swimmers were also selected to represent team NSW in relays, adding even more medals to our tally.

Individual Results

Lilly Andrews (Year 8)

2nd 13 Years 50m Freestyle

3rd 13 to 14 Years Mixed Freestyle Relay

Megan Chia (Year 9)

1st 15 Years 100m Freestyle

5th 15 Years 50m Butterfly

1st All Age 4x100m Freestyle Relay

Alyssa Gillespie (Year 11)

2nd 16 to 19 Years 100m Backstroke MC

3rd 16 to 19 Years 100m Breaststroke MC

4th 16 to 19 Years 50m Backstroke MC

5th 16 to 19 Years 50m Breaststroke MC

3rd 16 to 19 Years Mixed Medley Relay MC

Penelope Hargraves (Year 8)

4th 14 Years 50m Butterfly

Caitlyn Keating (Year 10)

3rd 15 Years 50m Butterfly

3rd 15 Years 100m Butterfly

4th 15 to 16 Years 200m Butterfly

5th 15 to 16 Years 400m Freestyle

Priscilla Miller (Year 7)

3rd 13 Years 50m Backstroke

2nd All Age 6x50m Freestyle Relay

Sarah Tian (Year 11)

3rd 17 to 19 Years 100m Backstroke

4th 17 to 19 Years 200m Backstroke

5th 17 to 19 Years 50m Backstroke

3rd 17 to 19 Years 4x50m Medley Relay

3rd 17 to 19 Years 4x50m Freestyle Relay

Alexis Whitton (Year 8)

3rd 14 Years 50m Freestyle

2nd 13 to 14 Years 4x50m Freestyle Relay

2nd All Age 6x50m Freestyle Relay

The coaching team extends their congratulations to all our Pymble swimmers for an incredible week of racing, a true reflection of their dedication, passion, and hard work.

A huge thank you to our coaches Leanne, Rafael, and Jarrod for preparing the swimmers so well for this major event, to coach Sara for her support on pool deck in Brisbane, and to all the parents for your ongoing encouragement and assistance.

We are so proud of our girls!

Swimming Australia Para Athlete Camp (Coach Raf)

Congratulations to coach Raf who last week was in Cairns attending the Para Orientation camp as they prepare for the upcoming Para World Championships in Singapore. There was a strong focus on process, team unity, and setting clear performance standards.

Throughout the week, athletes and coaches took part in professional development workshops covering mindset, performance planning, and team culture.

Key learnings he will bring back to Pymble include the importance of thorough planning, open and consistent communication between all performance team, and the impact of true team alignment. When everyone is on the same page and working toward a shared goal, amazing things can happen, that sense of unity is something we’ll continue to grow in our daily environment.

Next up is the Stage Camp in Darwin from Sunday 7 to Wednesday 17 September where the focus shifts to race execution, mental preparation, and building competition readiness.

Cranbrook Meet – Battle of the Clubs

Over the weekend, a group of Pymble swimmers – including two alumni – proudly represented Knox Pymble Swim Club (KPSC) at the inaugural Battle of the Clubs meet held at Cranbrook School.

This unique event brought a fresh approach to racing, combining a low-pressure atmosphere with high-stakes competition, as swimmers raced for points and a club prize package.

The format included fast-paced relays, 25-metre sprints, and mixed-distance events, creating a fun and engaging environment. Our swimmers embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, walking away with new personal bests, state qualifying times, and most importantly, a love for racing reignited.

Congratulations to the following Pymble girls who competed for KPSC:

  • Anne Lui (Year 9)
  • Georgia Friedel (Year 8)
  • Quinn Parry-Okeden (Year 8)
  • Jade Mao (Year 8)
  • Indianna Vale (Year 10)
  • Orianna Fenton (Year 8)
  • Piper Gregory-Reid (Alumni)
  • Jessica Munk (Alumni)

A big thank you to Leanne and Jarrod for coaching and supporting the team across the weekend, and to our dedicated parents who braved the rain and the protests to ensure the girls could compete.

Well done, team!

Abbotsleigh Invitational Swim Meet

On Sunday 3 August we had the Abbotsleigh Invitational Carnival for our 12 years and under swimmers. It was a great day of racing with plenty of personal bests and smiles and great learning experiences for some of our younger swimmers.

Pymble Medals

  • Isabella Wang (Year 6): Gold 50m Breaststroke, Gold 50m Butterfly, Silver 50m Backstroke, Silver 50m Freestyle
  • Yifei Zheng (Year 4): Silver 50m Butterfly, Bronze 50m Breaststroke
  • Rose Wang (Year 5): Silver 50m Backstroke, Bronze 50m Freestyle
  • Ariana Hu (Year 1): Gold 50m Breaststroke, Silver 50m Freestyle, Silver 50m Backstroke
  • Ivy Dao (Year 2): Bronze 25m Backstroke

We had 21 Pymble girls swimming at the meet in total. Congratulations to them all as they all swam so well and represented Pymble proud.

Vera Le (Year 4), Aini Liu (Year 3) Olivia Sun (Year 3), Emma Wang (Year 6), Genevieve Wong (Year 6), Annette Ng (Year 5), Audrey Conn (Year 4), Mia Hong (Year 3), Emily Dao (Year 4), Charlotte Yim (Year 5), Eleanor Zalewski (Year 7), Natasha Woods (Year 5), Tiffany Woods (Year 4), Mia Xu (Year 4), Sarah Zhang (Year 4), Chloe Pan (Year 4).

Thanks to coaches Sara, Rohan and Nikki for their support and guidance for all the swimmers on the day. We are so proud of our Pymble girls!

Tigersharks, Mini and Star Squad Turns Clinic

Last Friday 1 August, 38 enthusiastic swimmers from our Tigersharks Learn to Swim, Mini Squad, and Star Squad took part in a focused turns clinic! The swimmers practiced three key turns: the basic touch turn for breaststroke/butterfly, backstroke to backstroke tumble turns (starting on the front), and freestyle to freestyle tumble turns.

Led by coaches Rohan, Nikki, and Jarrod, the session was full of energy, learning, and lots of improvement. A huge thank you as well to our swimmer helpers Oriana Fenton (Year 8), Penelope Hargraves (Year 8), and Sophia Li (Year 7), for their fantastic support and demonstrations throughout the clinic.

Well done to all who participated, your hard work is showing! Keep practicing those turns in training!