TAKING ON THE WORLD
THE need to go fast that spawned Tanya Stovgaard’s love of swimming is also the trait the Runaway Bay schoolgirl hopes can now propel her to world glory.
The 17-year-old, a member of the Southport Olympic Swimming Club which trains at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, heads to Indianapolis in August to compete in the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.
The global opportunity comes less than a decade after transitioning from surf lifesaving nippers in order to quell her desire for an extra adenalin hit.
“I love racing fast,” the Year 12 Southport State High student said.
“I never really competed in the water side of it (at nippers).
“But I love the competition; that’s why I liked the sprinting events and found the distance races a bit too repetitive.”
Training nine times each week, Stovgaard carries a similar story to many aspiring swimmers.
“It’s very hard at times but I try to prioritise things,” she admitted. “There are times friends ask me (to do things) but I have to focus on other things.”
Stovgaard claimed three medals across three strokes – bronze in the 50m freestyle, silver in the 100m butterfly and gold in the 100m backstroke – at the Australian Age Championships in Brisbane this year.
Those efforts delivered her a shot on the world stage in America in August, though Stovgaard is not getting carried away.
“I’m just taking one step at a time,” she said.
“I’ll just see where it all leads.”
Stovgaard has won plenty of acclaim from other swimmers at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre for her unyielding team ethos and absolute dedication to succeeding in her sport.
That, in turn, has delivered her a nomination in the Gold
Coast Bulletin Local Sports Star awards in the “individual athlete” category.