By Kirra Livingstone
TALENTED Beerwah swimmer Tyla Paterson says the Australian swimming team’s success at Birmingham is just the inspiration she needs to help reach her goal of Olympic glory in Paris 2024.
Just two weeks out from competing at her first National Opens competition, the 16-year-old Beerwah State High student said she was primed to swim against top level swimmers and prove her mettle.
“I could potentially be versing Olympians at the National Opens so that’s pretty scary, but it’s a goal that I imagined myself getting to at some stage though,” Tyla said.
Her best times in her main events are 2.38.66 and 1.13.32 for her 200 metre and 100 metre breaststroke, which both qualified her to compete in the previously mentioned National Opens.
Her sporting inspiration is Olympian Emma McKeon, who won 20 medals at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, but wants to continue to be herself as she develops.
“I obviously aspire to be myself and my own swimmer, just because I like to do the weird events that people wouldn’t usually swim as much as the others, but I like being my own person,” she said.
