Michaela Ryan, 16, of Cleveland is within swimming distance of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after recent selection in the junior Australian Olympic team.
She is among four girls and four boys selected for the team after competition in Sydney at the Georgina Hope 2018 Australian age swimming championships where she won nine gold medals and one bronze, competing in 10 events.
Individual gold medals were achieved in 200m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley with a bronze in 50m freestyle. Three golds were achieved and new records set in relay events for under 16 girls 4x100m medley relay, 4x100m freestyle relay and a gold was achieved in Under 18 girls 4x200m freestyle relay.
Michaela’s mother Kelly said Michaela was so excited to be chosen for the team.
“We are over the moon. And when she saw the list of girls, she was particularly excited about the relay team,” Ms Ryan said.
Following the age championships, Michaela was also chosen as one of 14 girls and 14 boys for the Australian Junior Panpac team which will compete in Fiji in August. The Olympic team will then take her for competition in Argentina in October.
“This is her first time she has made an Australian representative team and she is incredibly proud and excited to represent her country,” Mrs Ryan said.
The former Redlands College student now boards at St Peters at Indooroopilly in order to attend nine training sessions a week under coach Dean Boxall with the St Peters Western Swim Club.
“I can't even begin to tell you how proud Paul and I are of this kid. She has worked incredibly hard, boarding at St Peters and training nine sessions a week to give this sport everything she's got. Her achievements are a combined effort between the amazing SPW Swim Club coaching staff, team members, undying family and friend support and her commitment and dedication to the sport of swimming.”
Mrs Ryan said Michaela had been swimming competitively since age seven. Her first carnival was the Capalaba Capers.
“She’s just a good little swimmer. It’s her thing,” she said.
At the Brisbane Senior Metropolitan Championships, she broke Bronte Barratt's 100m butterfly record and Hayley Lewis's 200m freestyle record.
