In a week where Olympic records were being smashed on the other side of the world, a 9-year-old Griffith North Public school sensation achieved similar feats at the Griffith Regional Aquatic Leisure Centre on Monday.
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At her annual school swimming carnival, Annie Jones broke the record for the 9-year-olds 50 metre freestyle, recording a time of 42:56 seconds.
She backed that up by winning gold in the 50-metre backstroke, breaststroke and 100 metre freestyle.
Her achievement is all the more remarkable given she is a relative newcomer to the pool, with her first competitive race at the school’s swimming carnival last year.
“I want to be a champion swimmer when I grow up,” Annie said.
“My heroes are Samantha Taylor [her friend Nicole’s sister] and superwoman”.
“She’s got a gift, we noticed that last year,” mum Kim Jones said.
“Ever since, she’s been swimming every Wednesday night at swim club”.
Annie said chocolate bullets give her the energy to go the distance in the pool.
Mum Kim said Annie has also represented her school at the Southern Inland Swimming Association.
She adds that Annie is a bit of all-rounder, excelling at soccer, touch football and geography.
The two other stars of Griffith North’s day at the pool were Kieran Casey and Nicole Taylor.
Kieran matched Annie by also winning the 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke.
But Kieran’s role model is not a swimming one.
“My hero is Shaun Johnson, a rugby league player. I also play league”.
Nicole Taylor also picked up four gold medals.
“I want to be a professional swim teacher when I grow up”.
February is the month of schools swimming carnivals across the MIA, with Beelbangera primary (Tuesday) and Griffith East (Wednesday) primary schools also holding their major swimming events this week.