By JARROD POTTER
WHATEVER the conditions, you are sure to find Ebony Francis out in the water.
That love of swimming has guided Francis, 12, from Black Rock, to selection on the School Sport Victoria (SSV) triathlon team after earning a top-six finish in a qualifying race.
The Haileybury Keysborough student caught the triathlon bug off her parents – Paul and Rachael – and has never looked back as she competes regularly through the summer months at Bayside beaches in a number of triathlon series.
“When I was growing up my mum and dad did a lot of triathlons and it interested me so I decided to give it a go and fell in love with it,” Francis said.
“When I was eight I did the Weet Bix kids triathlon and that was fun.
“I put my name down and I had come in the top six with a bunch of other girls who tried out… I’m really proud to make the team.”
Swimming is her discipline of choice as Francis aims to blitz the competition through the water and hold onto her lead on her non-preferred bike and run legs.
She just hopes to finish first in the swim leg of the nationals and take on everything she can from the experience.
“I’d love to come out first in the swim – that would make me happy – and I’m just hoping to learn from the whole experience,” Francis said.
Francis is also a keen life-saver – participating in nippers – and when she’s not in the water she loves to roam the defensive end in netball.
She wanted to thank her parents for their support and helping drive her up and down the bay to get into her triathlons.
“Just want to thank my dad and mum for driving me to all my events all the time,” Francis said.
“Dad got up with me at 4am this (Thursday) morning for swim training to drive me here (Haileybury).”
Francis will head to Penrith from 27-30 April for the School Sport Australia Triathlon National Championships.
