Yass High School’s Riley Gibbs is the Under 15’s South Coast Swimming Champion, becoming only the second Yass High School student ever to do it.

As part of his swimming exploits, Riley went on to make State level in six individual events: 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 100m butterfly.

“I wanted to make State for at least one event, and I ended up making six of them.”

“But my favourite strokes are freestyle and butterfly,” he said.

Whilst Riley did not make it further past the State level; he remains pleased with the results he did get,

“I went to State already and got six out of six PB’s, and I didn’t make it on from there, but I did pretty well because I got six out of six PB’s,” he said.

Riley currently trains five days a week in both Canberra and Goulburn, but thanks his training at Spiders Combat Athletics in Yass for his rapid improvement in recent times.

“As well as the swim training, I go to Spiders Combat Athletics, which is like boxing and fitness.”

“It’s [Spiders Combat Athletics] fitness and the mental side really, we work a lot on the mental side and really fitness and mental are the two big things,” he said.

Riley has no plans to slow down his vigorous training regime and has high hopes of a career in the sport for his future.

“I’d love to do it until I’m older.”

“I’d really love to make it to the Olympics for at least one event,” he said.

If his improvement continues its recent trajectory, we may have a future Olympian in our midst.

Max O’Driscoll