A local 13 year old, together with her teammates who train at Manly Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Aquatic Centre, won gold at the Australian Open Swimming Championships last week.

Lily McPherson, Georgina Seton, Lauren Wilson and Charli Brown grabbed their first ever national gold medal in the women’s 4 x 100 freestyle event for Manly Swimming Club.

We spoke to their coach, Justin Rothwell, to find out how he felt when he saw them win.

“It was Lily’s first national competition, and she was the youngest competitor there. But she swam equal to her best time and as each leg unfolded, the swimmers held their own.

“Lily handed over to Georgina who is 20 and studying to be a paramedic and then Lauren, who is 27 and a teacher at Narrabeen Sports High.

“Nineteen year old Charli Brown, who is an Australian junior swimming team member, brought the team home coming in two metres ahead of her competitor.

“We were elated. It was quite a special moment,” said Justin.

Council’s Manly Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Aquatic Centre provides a supportive swimming environment for the whole community. Swimmers of all levels dive in to achieve their swimming goals whether that’s learning to swim or training to compete at an elite level.

The pool has been the home training ground for many talented swimmers over the years including Olympic medallists like Elka Graham.

You can find out more about joining Manly Aquatic Centre’s squads and amateur swim clubs on our website.