Endurance key to title campaign

Swimming is a tough sport, just ask Ella Butler, the 17-year-old from Dunsborough who will represent WA at the School Sport State swimming championships.

The dedicated teen wakes up at 4.30am to travel to Bunbury for training at 6am and then heads north again at 5pm for a second session.

She’s an endurance athlete who will compete in the 400m individual medley, the 200m individual medley, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 100m freestyle and her favourite, the gruelling 100m butterfly.

The endurance training includes several timed 50m sprints, a few of 100m, recovery and repeat.

“I like the individual medley because you get to swap strokes but the 400m is a new event for me,” Butler said.

The Bunbury Swimming Club product credited her family for her success and teaching her to be committed to both sport and school.

“My mum has helped me a lot — I couldn’t do it without her,” she said.

The Year 12 student has found it hard to balance both swimming and her studies but said the discipline needed to become a good swimmer had taught her how to succeed.

Her perseverance has paid off, with a recent trip to the National Championships in Sydney and now the School Sport State Championships.

“Swimming has always been a part of my life so I will keep training and hopefully I can get personal bests for this event,” she said.

“I love racing, just getting in the water and competing.”