Bailey Whitton only started competitive swimming three years ago but is already achieving high success.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 12-year-old from Laurieton was the age champion at the Swimming North Coast Long Course Championships.
The event was on over the weekend of November 24-25 at Coffs Harbour. It included 446 swimmers from the Queensland border to Bulladella in the south.
Bailey said it’s his goal to one day make it to the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.
Bailey trains three afternoons and three morning a week.
Even though he spends a lot of time looking at the black line at the bottom of the pool, Bailey said he doesn’t get bored.
“I just focus on doing the stroke properly,” he said.
At the competition in Coffs Harbour Bailey won eight gold medals, one silver and a bronze medal.
He also broke a number of records over the two-day event in butterfly, freestyle and medley events.
Bailey’s mum said he is training hard but she doesn’t want him to burn out before he gets the opportunity to qualify for national events.
Competitors have to be 14-years-old before they can take part in national events.
Bailey said he has been training to achieve national swimming times, before he gets to that level.
Sometimes Bailey can get nervous before swimming events but he said talking to people helps.
Bailey has made a lot of close friends since he started training with the Laurieton Swimming Club.