Haileybury Waterlion Kristen Wilson swam two personal best times at the Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane last week.
By Marc McGowan
HAILEYBURY Waterlion Kristen Wilson smashed two personal best times to leave an indelible mark on last week’s Australian Swimming Championships at the Chandler Aquatic Centre in Brisbane.
The Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder competed in the 400-metre individual medley and the 800-metre freestyle, and stormed her way to fourth and sixth-place finishes respectively.
“I haven’t done that well at open level before,” Wilson, 17, said.
“They were both good swims and both were new PBs.”
Wilson has been swimming competitively since the age of nine and has already had an illustrious junior career.
Wilson won one gold and three silver medals at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games, and an astounding seven gold medals at the Victorian Age Championships this year.
The teenager also emerged victorious in the 400-metre individual medley and 200-metre butterfly at the Australian Age titles.
Respected swimming figure Wayne Lawes, who has been involved with swimming and coaching for 25 years, is Wilson’s coach at the Waterlions, and he is suitably impressed with his protege.
“She is a very tough trainer and works extremely hard for her achievements,” Lawes said.
“We didn’t really taper off. She only had two days’ rest (going into Brisbane). She has done a fantastic job.”
Wilson does nine swimming sessions a week and hits the gym another three times, which makes for a hectic lifestyle.
“I’m doing my VCE over three years, so I’ll finish next year,” the Haileybury College student said.
“You have to give up so much time and so many other things that normal 17-year-olds would do.”
The Waterlions’ Keysborough base provides Wilson with a quality training environment and strong support network.
“There are a lot of people there who understand what I’m going through,” she said.
“They are in the same situation and we all support each other.”
Not only is Wilson finding senior-level competition a much tougher proposition, but it also means being surrounded by the superstars of Australian swimming, including Grant Hackett.
“He’s my idol more because he’s had so many setbacks and he’s been able to come back,” Wilson said.
“I suppose you get kind of used to it (having the superstars walking around on pool deck) but the first time is a bit scary!”
Wilson can relate to Hackett’s injury problems, as she has had more than her fair share during her ascension to the elite level.
Tendonitis in both forearms ruined her 2005 season and she has also battled back complaints in the past.
“It took me nine months to recover from my forearm tendonitis,” Wilson said.
“It was especially tough to recover from that injury because I was out of the pool for so long.”
Wilson heads to the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships with the Australian team in Hawaii next month and is taking it one event at a time on the road to Beijing.
“In the long run it is a goal (qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games) but at the moment my focus is on the smaller ones along the way,” she said.
“It’s not too far in respect to how you have to train. You have to put a lot of preparation in and you tend not to think too much about it.”
