Talitha McEwan | Sport

My name is Talitha McEwan, I’m 16 years old and I just love any sports that take place in and around the water.

I started swimming lessons when I was 3 years old. As a 7y old I was doing synchronised swimming and played flippa ball at school.

When I was 8 years old I won the local open water race, Sand To Surf. The prize was to attend a weekend in Auckland and swim and train under Rick Wells, Moss Burmester, Charlotte Webby and Melissa Ingram.

I loved it so much that I asked my parents to join a swimming club. I then played all water sports on offer in Tauranga – synchronised swimming, water polo, joined the surf lifesaving club, underwater hockey.

I love a bit of a challenge so choose the longer distance and the 400IM over sprints or just freestyle races, but I prefer to swim in the ocean and open water.