Swimming: Trio's hard work rewarded

The newest Jetstar Super Swim squad members, Sophie Robb (left), Te Manewha Rikihana, Tamrah Titcombe, Pierce Collins, Sophie Irving and Daniel Shanahan. Photo / Simon Watts

Three Tauranga boys have earned places in a coveted national junior swim squad.

Brothers Liam Shanahan, 10, and Daniel Shanahan, 13, from Bethlehem and Te Manewha Rkihana, 9, from Judea have won coveted places in the Jetstar Super Swim Squad and will travel to Auckland for a weekend camp with some elite swimmers and coaches in April.

Previous coaches at the clinics have included Nathan Capp, Moss Burmester, Rick Wells, Danyon Loader and Lauren Boyle.

Liam secured his place in the squad at the Bay of Islands Classic, which took place last November, while Te Manewha and Daniel both won their age groups in the 200m OceanKids swims at the recent Capital Classic swim in Wellington.

It was the third event in the seven-swim New Zealand Ocean Swim Series.

Throughout the season, each event gives six children the opportunity to earn a place in the final 36 member squad.

The next event is the Sand to Surf at Mount Maunganui on March 12.

April's camp will be Liam's fourth and Te Manewha's second but will be a first for Daniel. The Capital Classic was the latest swimming success in Daniel's impressive young career.

The Otumoetai Swimming Club member has been participating in the series for several years and has always placed highly on the leader board. In December he shaved an impressive half-second off the New Zealand 12-and-under 200m short course freestyle record at the annual Tri-Series event in Napier.

"I am looking forward to meeting other good swimmers and learning new skills and hearing about what the top swimmers did when they were my age and how they went about achieving their goals," he said.

Liam and Te Manewha swim four times a week and are also surf club members.

Although this is not Te Manewha's first camp, he is excited to take part again and enjoy not just the educational aspect of the camp, but the social side too.

"I'm looking forward to the Jetstar camp so I can see my friends again, meet some new friends and also keep working on my stroke," he said.

"I felt stoked when I won but tired because I really swam my hardest. It seemed long but I felt like I was flying through it. I'm very happy because I worked hard for it."

- Information: www.oceanswim.co.nz