Young Canberra swimmer ready to make a splash on the national stage

Butterfly is known to be one of the more difficult swimming strokes, but for nine-year-old Millie Lamb, it’s as natural as breathing.

The Wanniassa Junior School student has been chosen to represent the ACT in nine separate races at the School Sport Australia National Swimming competition.

She’s only been training in squad swimming with the Tuggeranong Vikings Swim Club for a year, but has quickly attracted attention in the pool.

“I’m doing a lot of strokes, but I’m doing the most races in butterfly,” Millie said.

“It’s just my fastest stroke.”

Both Millie and her older sister have been swimming since they were two months old, but becoming competitors wasn’t on the cards for her parents.

Millie’s mother, Tori Lamb, said neither she nor her husband were swimmers but saw their girls’ potential.

“We’d sort of encouraged swimming more recreationally, even though they were both in squad; we just wanted them to be healthy and fit,” she said.

“But also, I think it’s important, particularly for girls, to have a couple of social groups so that if things aren’t great, say at school, you have another group of friends to hang out with.”

Ms Lamb also enjoyed watching the camaraderie shared among the swimmers at each training session and competition.

“I’m actually really surprised at, even though it’s an individual sport … it’s such a beautiful team atmosphere, they all cheer each other on, if somebody doesn’t get a PB or qualifying time, they all commiserate with one another. It’s really lovely,” she said.

“She’s got something where she controls how often she trains, what she puts in, she can see what she gets back out of it – there’s nothing bad to get out of having an activity where you don’t always win and have to keep trying.”

Millie trains six times a week – each afternoon after school and on Saturdays – cycling the 4 km from school to the pool to get stuck into training.

She also fits in gymnastics and diving (in the summer) around school, with a lot of socialising also happening poolside.

“I really like being with friends, and I like competing,” Millie said when asked why she enjoyed swimming.

She said it also gave her a sense of accomplishment and confidence in herself, as she knew it was solely up to her to put in the effort while in the water.

Of course, having two daughters who are also competitive swimmers could make casual family outings to the pool an interesting affair.

“I don’t know if it’s funny or extremely painful as a grown adult, but we sometimes go to the pool together for a swim and the kids will just swim laps around me and often come and say, ‘Mum, you’re not swimming properly, let me give you some tips’,” Ms Lamb said.

“It’s both a mix of humiliation and pride as a parent.”

The national competition is being held at the Gold Coast, with Millie’s age group scheduled to compete from 25 to 27 July.

Millie looks up to Olympian Mollie O’Callaghan and will channel her spirit for inspiration when jumping off the starting blocks.

“I’m going up to get a PB, have fun with my friends and try to make it to the finals.”