Please note: this is an old article
It was published in August 2017, so the information may be out-of-date.
Brennan Swift has been bestowed a prestigious honour at the recent Swimming Victoria Annual Awards.
The Shepparton Swimming Club star received recognition as the best country swimmer in the state for the 2016-17 season in the form of the Allan Blue Memorial Trophy.
“I did not expect it at all, I thought there would be someone else in country Victoria that would be closer to a world record than me,” Swift said.
Decided by FINA points and a Swimming Victoria selection committee, the trophy is dedicated in honour of Blue, a life member of Swimming Victoria due to his service first as a competitor and then in other areas up until his death in 1980.
“There’s so many swimmers in country Victoria, I thought maybe there’d be a girl or even my brother (Carter) that had beaten me,” Swift said.
“But apparently I got there in the end which is pretty good for me.”
Recognition for a great season is certainly a reward for hard work for Swift, who has no plans of taking a step backwards any time soon.
“Since I’m working full-time now I have to get up at 5am every morning which is pretty hard, but in the end it’s worth it I reckon, so I’ll just keep swimming until I can’t,” Swift said.
“Making my first final at Open Nationals (was a highlight), I was pretty stoked about that, and getting the Australia Day Memorial Award at the Country Championships was pretty special to me.
“I’ve already booked my flights to Brisbane for the Commonwealth Games trials and the short course Country Championships are coming up in Wangaratta so I hope to swim well in those.”
Fellow club member Hayley Hogan was also in the running for an award, receiving a nomination for Best New Official of the Year.
Hogan was reinstated as one of four club captains at the season launch on Friday night after a tight vote, with Emma Hurley, Daniel Dunning and Hume Hurley taking up the mantle for the first time.
“The final selection was very close, with one vote separating the three female nominations,” club coach Michelle Swift said.
“We look forward to them taking on the mantle of responsibility in guiding our new recruits and current members over the coming season.”
At the first local meet of the new season at Aquamoves recently 118 competitors took to the pool, with a personal best rate of more than 60 per cent highlighting the quality of the short course racing.
Article courtesy of the Shepparton News on 2 August 2017. Written by Tyler Maher. Photos by Holly Curtis.
