Rotorua para swimmer Siobhan Terry recently competed at the New Zealand Swimming Championships. Photo / File
Rotorua para swimmer Siobhan Terry recently competed at the New Zealand Swimming Championships. Photo / File
Last year, Te Arawa Swimming's Siobhan Terry broke her collar bone seven weeks before the New Zealand Swimming Championships.
She was still able to compete but was not at full fitness, so used the event as an opportunity to gain experience.
This year was a different story. Terry was ableto balance study and coaching with five to six morning training sessions in the outdoor pool, rain or shine, as well as light dry land and gym sessions in her lead-up to the championships.
On day one she raced the 50m freestyle multi class against some strong competition. She took 1.6 seconds off her personal best and made the finals later that day. A phone call with her coach Henk Greupink saw her refocus and race even faster in the final dropping her time again and posting a new personal best of 35.86s to finish fourth. She was in illustrious company - it was in that same race that Olympian Sophie Pascoe beat the world record time.
On day four, Terry competed in the 50m backstroke. She raced strongly again and finished in 47.17s, beating her previous best time of 49.71s and making the final.
Again she found the energy to race faster in the final, touching the wall in a new best time of 46.75s to finish fourth.
On the last day of the championships Terry took on the 100m freestyle with a very strong field of athletes. She beat her best time by 2.45s and made it into the finals in 1m 22.02s. This time in the finals she was slightly off her personal best breaking mission and finished fifth in 1m 22.89s.
Greupink said Terry's national campaign had been a good one.
"It has been a good build up for these nationals. I am hopeful that Siobhan can go faster again this upcoming season. There has already been some planning done and this includes more dry land and gym work and we are looking at adding other events.
"We have to travel outside the regions for more competitions but I am sure we'll make it work."
