Last month, two of our young Mighty Blues and national rising stars embarked on their first international adventure as representatives of Team Australia.
Samuel Higgs and Lillie McPherson were part of a 12-strong contingent of Aussie swimmers who competed at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinbago (Trinidad and Tobago), 6-9 August 2023. Their selection on the team was great recognition of their performances in the pool to date, including stand out performances at the National Age Championships, while the meet itself provided the aspiring athletes with an opportunity to test themselves against some of the best young athletes across the world and gain the tools required to succeed as senior athletes at future Commonwealth, Olympic, and Paralympic events.
Led by General Manager Ellie Cole OAM, the Australian Team also included Higgs’ coach, Cameron Gledhill, who was one two team coaches alongside Kelly Stubbins.
The Commonwealth Youth Games has been a breeding ground for future swimming superstars, like Ian Thorpe, Susie O'Neill and Ariarne Titmus. For Samuel Higgs, a rising star in the men's category, and Lillie McPherson, a sensation in the women's competition, the Commonwealth Youth Games represented a significant milestone in their flourishing careers. Learn about their experiences in their own words…
Samuel Higgs (Warringah Aquatic Swim Club)
Events: 50m Butterfly, 200m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 400m Individual Medley, mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Team 1, 4 x 100m Medley Relay Team 1.
When I was selected for the Australian team to go to the Youth Commonwealth Games, my only focus was getting in the pool to get prepared to compete, but I quickly realised once I joined the Australian Team that the experience would be far greater than just swimming races.
From the moment I met the team, and we were presented our uniforms, we instantly bonded. They were all great characters and for the first few days when we were travelling to Trinidad, I don’t think I have laughed so much. I loved travelling and then training with the team, and by the time we hit the competition pool, we had gone from nearly strangers to each other’s greatest supporters. What I didn’t expect was how many of the international athletes I would bond with throughout the competition, the opening ceremony and in the athlete village, including the local Trinidad volunteers
The whole experience allowed me gain insight into how international meets are run and how you need to learn adapt to changing circumstances, such as the 1 hour turn arounds we had from arriving back at the hotel after heats then leaving for finals or the 2 hour bus trips to the pool.
I will never forget the feeling of standing on the blocks in the heats of the 400 IM seeing my name on the board next to the Australia flag and realising I was representing my country.
While my individual results weren’t exactly what I had hoped and trained for, the feeling of standing on the podium on the very last race of the meet with my 4 X 100 medley relay teammates will remain with me for ever.
Lillie McPherson (Manly Swimming Club)
Events: 50m Butterfly, 100m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley, mixed 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Team 1, 4 x 100m Medley Relay Team 1, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Team 1.
My favourite part of my youth Commonwealth Games experience was definitely travelling and competing with the team itself. There were only twelve athletes on the entire swimming team, which meant we all got to know each other. We got to meet each other at the two days we spent in Sydney before we flew out, where we completed a couple of training sessions (one gym and one swim).
On the way to Trinidad, we had a one night stopover in Houston, Texas. It was a definite culture shock; we were served huge meals at dinner and the weather was so warm compared to Sydney. We then flew to Trinidad and arrived at around 1am local time. Everyone settled in, and we spent the next couple of days tapering and getting ready to race. Everyone was operating on island time, and some days we weren’t able to arrange buses to get to training, so we had to make do with the hotel pool!
Racing itself was an amazing experience, and the entire team cheered and congratulated each other. My favourite race to watch were the relays, and the Aussies definitely had the best team spirit out of everyone. Once we finished racing, we had about a day and a half until we flew home. We spent most of our time eating chips and ice cream by the pool. Then we were back on a plane and on our way home; we all agreed the trip had gone way too fast!
Overall, my first experience on an Australian team was absolutely awesome 💛💚
