SWAN students Zaylee Sanders and Lawson Duffield return home from the Brisbane swimming championships with new friendships and a dream to one day compete on the Olympic stage.

Lawson and Zaylee were part of a team of more than 50 boys and girls who competed at the School Sport Australia swimming championships which ran from July 26 to July 31.

Zaylee said her parents took her to swimming classes at a young age so she could be safe in the water.

“When I turned eight, I competed in my first interschool, racing students in the year above me and realised I had a talent for swimming,” she said.

“I then joined a squad and entered racing at the age of nine and have been racing competitively ever since.”

For Zaylee, the highlight of the School Sport championships were the friendships she made.

“I connected with some of the WA girls I had never talked to, strengthened my connection with some of the WA girls I previously knew, as well as making friends from other states and Fiji.”

She learnt a lot during the competition and even picked up a lesson from her new friends.

“I learnt from Fiji how much sportsmanship can positively affect a person’s swim competition and how sportsmanship makes the competition even better.

“I also learnt that you should always set high goals but never be ashamed of yourself if you don’t reach those goals.”

Lawson also found his talent for swimming as an eight-year-old when he competed at his first school swim carnival.

“At the carnival I won every race and broke the school records,” he said.

“I went on to swim at interschool and won all my races there as well.

“After this, my parents took me to join a local swim squad that was at our small country pool.”

Getting into the pool and competing against 13 and 14-year-olds was a highlight for 12-year-old Lawson.

“(And) beating four swimmers in the medley relay to finish first in the fly leg for my team.”

Both Zaylee and Lawson dream of going to the Olympics and competing against the best around the world.

“That is my biggest dream and goal for my future,” she said.

Lawson said he would like to go to the World Swimming Championships and Commonwealth Games as well.

“I would like to specialise in the 50m, 100m, 200m freestyle and maybe 400m freestyle,” he said. “I’d also like to try and specialise in the 50 Fly.”