Record smasher

Stratford swimmer Joshua Gilbert is making a splash internationally after breaking a New Zealand age group swimming record and bringing home a bronze medal at the Georgina Hope Foundation Australian Age Swimming Championships in Sydney last week.

Joshua was selected as one of only 15 New Zealand swimmers to represented the country at the annual swimming competition. Joshua qualified by achieving qualifying times for 100m and 200m breaststroke. The group were coached by ex Olympian coach Gary Hurring.

Joshua says as it was his first time at the event he wasn't sure what to expect.

"I knew I would be swimming against the best swimmers from Australia and New Zealand, so I really didn't think I would achieve so much," says Joshua who also broke five other Taranaki swimming records.

The Stratford High School student says he began swimming competitively a 9-years-old and took like a fish to water, "I was able to pick up all the strokes and techniques quickly and each time I competed my times kept getting faster".

Joshua says being selected to represent New Zealand was a real achievement and his next goal to is to swim in the youth olympics in the next few years.

Aimee Woodhead, head coach of the CMK Stratford Flyers, says that Joshua is a very dedicated athlete, training in the pool up to five days a week as well as sessions at the gym with a personal trainer.

Joshua says he is grateful for the amount of support he receives from Aimee and his family. "They are always there to support me".

He adds that he also grateful to have received grant funding from TSSSA Sports, TSB Bank Community Trust and Taranaki Swimming that helped fund his trip to Sydney.

Next on Joshua's competition calender is the National Age Group Championships.