Racki, 10, is less than two years into her swimming career since switching from athletics at the start of 2008, but she is already a four-time national champion after scooping that number of gold medals at the Australian All Schools PSSA Swimming Championships in Perth last month.

She completed a stunning year in the pool that saw her win the age championship at school, district, regional and State level before hea-

ding to the nationals and out sprinting the best swimmers in her age group in the country to win the 200m individual medley and the 50m freestyle.

The Kurrajong Primary School pupil then played a crucial role in helping NSW win the 4x50m under 10

freestyle relay and the 4x50m med- ley relay with an impressive anch- oring freestyle leg.

Not to be outdone, she also won the silver medals in the 50m backs- troke, 50m breaststroke and 4x50m all age freestyle relay, giving her an astonishing seven medals from seven swims.

And it all started from a simple good day at her school's swimming carnival early last year.

"I did athletics before this but I've switched to swimming now," Racki said.

"It was actually at the school carnival where I went well and I asked mum if I could start swimming."

Dropping her burgeoning athletics resume, which had also yielded high representative honours, she joined Windsor's Swimwest Club and hasn't looked back, surprising everyone with her rapid development, not least her coach Pascal Delahay (below).

"Emily's results have blown us all away ? when she won the four golds at State, especially for the other events ? her main stroke is freestyle and she won the gold at NSW for breast, back and IM as well," he said.

"Her win in the IM (in Perth) was in a 10-second PB, which was her biggest improvement.

"The first year she was mainly just a freestyler and she got a silver med- al at the State titles and that was it.

"She's improved in that stroke and also become an allrounder.

"I was always hopeful she could win a medal at the nationals, but up against all the kids from around Australia you just don't know.

"The kids she raced from NSW, we knew their strengths, but the others we had no idea.

"The main thing was she went and swam PB times ? she had 10 swims in Perth and she did PBs in all of them, including the heats."

? Continued Page 71

? Wally's super seven, Page 71