Phoebe chases gold

Star at her best for world titles

MULTIPLE world record holder and world champion swimmer Phoebe Mitchell will have more gold in her sights when she leads Australia to the 2018 World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships next month.

The Geelong Swimming Club star is well-versed in rising to the occasion when it counts, busy in and out of the pool to keep her No.1 status in the sport.

Mitchell has recently added more world records to an impressive tally of 15 and been appointed to the leadership team of the 20 athletes heading on the self-funded trip.

Geelong Swimming Club coach John Beckworth said few could match the competitiveness of Mitchell, particularly at an event she has thrice been crowned female swimmer of the meet.

“Phoebe’s a real competitor and she always swims well in major championships,” Beckworth said.

“She’s probably one of the hardest trainers in my group and even though she’s not as fast as some of them, she trains just as hard and she’s highly motivated.

“She doesn’t like to be beaten. She’s very proud of her status in swimming and I’m sure she’ll swim very well to maintain that position.”

The team was presented with their green and gold gear at a camp in Queensland earlier this month, including Geelong coaches Beckworth and Sadat Hussain, who are part of the nine support staff.

Bradley Doolan, who makes the trip from Point Cook to train at Geelong Swimming Club with Hussain, is also off to Canada and Beckworth tipped him to feature highly at his second world titles.

“I think it was a good learning experience (in Florence) and he’s come back a better swimmer because of it and reset his goals and is very determined to do well in Canada,” Beckworth said of the 24year-old.

“He’s improved a lot in two years.

“He’s improved by three or four seconds on his times. He’s swum a number of PBs already this season, so he’s in good form.”

Both Mitchell and Doolan will compete in eight events at the meet in Nova Scotia from July 20-22.

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia is fundraising via MyCause on behalf of the team.