Isla Ho happy after one her most recent swim meets.
Isla Ho is set to go up against some of the best swimmers in the country in her attempt to become a national age champion.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Isla qualified for the championships on the back of her efforts at the School Sport Australia Championships in Sydney in August.
She was competing as part of team Victoria, where Isla attends school.
She swam her 50m butterfly race in 29.60 seconds, earning her a bronze medal.
Her time qualified her for the April 2024 National Age Championships in Melbourne.
Isla started her swimming journey at just eight years old in Deniliquin.
Now, at 16, she is competing at a national level.
Isla first began training at the Deniliquin Swimming Club, coached by Chris Hayes.
Last year, she had a change of scenery and moved to Ballarat where she boards and studies at Clarendon College.
Isla now swims with the Ballarat Gold Swim Club, under the coaching of Mark Stahl.
She trains six days a week, completing two or three one hour sessions each day.
Isla has had a stellar year in the pool, qualifying for her first age championships in April this year.
She travelled to the Gold Coast to compete in the 50m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke.
“She has also had a successful short course season with many personal best swims,” Isla’s mother Tracy Ho said.
“She moved from being a butterfly swimmer to getting a bronze state age medal in 200m medley at the start of this month.” Isla’s mother, Tracey Ho, said.
Isla continues to train for the upcoming nationals, with time to possibly qualify for further events before November rolls around.
Her coaching team predicts that by improving her swims by mere seconds, she could potentially qualify in 50m in all four strokes, 100m butterfly, 100m breaststroke, 200m butterfly, 200m medley, and maybe even the 400m medley.
Looking further the future, Isla is hoping to be able to swim in the United States on a college scholarship.
26°C