From an emergency medical condition to the tyranny of distance, Billy Moody, Mackenzie Gray, Rory Gray, Alix O’Bryan and Alice Small all had significant hurdles to cross in the lead up to – or while competing at – their recent respective State Short Course (SC) Championships.
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But despite the various challenges each individual swimmer faced, they all have some incredible success stories to share.
Singleton Amateur Swimming Club's head coach, Melisa Geale, says her five charges were impressive.
“When you face hurdles like that and can still come out and perform the way they all did. Well, it really showed me how much more they have to give,” she says.
When you face hurdles like that and can still come out and perform the way they all did. Well, it really showed me how much more they have to give
- Head coach, Melisa Geale.
Leading the way on September 8-9 at the 2018 NSW 10U-12years State Short Course (SC) Championships was a determined Billy Moody.
After being struck down with appendicitis in July, he defied the odds to become the club’s newest state champ by winning the 100m butterfly in record breaking fashion (59.87s) and claiming another gold medal in the 200m butterfly (2:16.75).
His photo now adorns the same honour board as his successful siblings, Jade and Oliver.
While a silver in the 100m freestyle (57.67) and a bronze in the 50m freestyle rounded out his impressive triumph over adversity.
Melisa says Moody became very ill on the way home from his successful outing at the All Schools National Championships in Tasmania from July 25 – 31.
“By the time they got him home his sister, who is a fourth year medical student, has just gone no it’s straight to hospital,” she explains.
“So we thought this is going to throw a bit of a spanner in the works. We did not know how long the recovery was going to be and he ended up having three-and-half weeks out of the water.”
By this stage Melisa – and his mum, Nicki, had doubts about him competing at the state champs.
But Moody had his mind set on racing so they compromised.
“We limited his races but we were still not sure about how he was going to go after so much time out of the water but he made us eat our words,” she says.
“He is so determined and knows what he wants. We did not expect him to go anywhere near his best times so to go 1.93 seconds under the record over 100 metres is amazing. I can only imagine with the proper preparation, what could have been.”
At the same meet siblings Mackenzie (U12yrs Girls) and Rory (U10yrs Boys) Gray also achieved fantastic results. Mackenzie can now lay claim to being a state finalist and has the ribbons to prove it.
Competing in five races and never finishing outside the top 15, she came an impressive 9th in both the 100m free (1:03.31) and 200m fly (2:44.56).
Melisa describes her as a quiet achiever - a real workhorse.
“She picked up three finalist ribbons down there which is a fantastic result,” her proud coach says.
“She swam brilliantly in her freestyle events, the 50m and 100m, and posted personal bests.”
While on debut Rory managed to post PB’s in his three events - 100m back (1:18.40 11th place), 100m free (1:09.85) and 50m back (36.66 13th place).
“For his first time, he just smashed it. He has worked his backside off and it is a credit to him. You just have to watch what he does at training to see why he did so well and knocked so much time off,” she explains.
“Before the 100m backstroke on the Saturday I said to him I really think you can go 1:18 today Rory, and he did. He knocked five-and-half seconds off his country qualifying time and finished 11th overall. Afterwards, it was funny because his next two races were on the Sunday and he asked me - what times do you want me to swim tomorrow?”
A similar scenario unfolded at the 2018 NSW 13yrs&Over State SC Championships from August 24 to 26 where both Alix O’Bryan and Alice Small performed exceptionally well as they “both aged up”.
After a limited preparation O’Bryan produced a PB in both the 100m breast (1:22.89) and 100m back (1:09.47 12th place).
Melisa says she had been quite sick in the lead up to the meet and therefore, had not been training consistently.
So for O’Bryan to improve her times in two events - and be around the mark in 200m back stroke - “blew” her coach away.
“Alix [O’Bryan] just gives 100 per cent all of the time, she is a worker,” Melisa explains.
While Small, who travels from Muswellbrook to train with the squad, has also stepped it up in the training stakes and her efforts are paying off.
She produced at PB in 100m breaststroke (1:21.49).
Melisa says Small has been swimming well and earlier this season picked up a gold medal at the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Championship.
She is confident both Small and O’Bryan are destined to attain national times for the upcoming long course season.
