7 June 2024
During the half term break, Year 10 swimmer Lara took part in the Irish Open Championships and Olympic Trials, having achieved the qualifying time earlier in the year. This was a major milestone for Lara, as she absorbed everything this wonderful opportunity had to offer, as she describes below.
Lara S, Year 10
It was fantastic to race at the Championships in the Dublin National Aquatic Centre. It was amazing to watch Olympic stars race, including Danielle Hill and Mona McSharry (both of whom will compete in Paris this summer). Getting to experience this type of competitive environment was brilliant.
My race – 50m backstroke – was really good and a great chance to explore how to handle my mindset in such a high level competition. Walking through the curtains onto the poolside just before my race felt unreal – the atmosphere at the meet was incredible. I'm so grateful I was able to qualify and learn such a lot from this superb competition.