Rossmoyne’s Isla Titley (53) took up the sport three years ago and last month competed in the National Synchronised Swimming Championships in Melbourne, winning gold in the duet category and bronze for her solo performance.
In April, the former triathlete also won gold in the duet category and silver for her solo performance in the state championships.
Titley, a member of the West Coast Splash Synchronised Swimming Club, said the sport was attracting increasing numbers of participants but not many athletes her age.
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READ NOW“If you love the water and you are a good swimmer, it is just the best thing,” she said.
The sport demands advanced water skills and considerable concentration and agility.
“Synchronised swimming is tough,” Titley said. “You need to be a very strong swimmer, very flexible and to be able to hold your breath.
“It is a very explosive sport. It is a difficult sport, much harder than triathlons.”
She said it combined her love of swimming with ballet skills learnt when she was younger.
“There is a lot of performance in the sport; it is all showmanship,” she said. “It really pushes your body to the extremes, I love that feeling.”
A talented artist, she also uses her creativity in the sport, creating elaborately beaded swimming costumes worn in competitions. One of her costumes won first prize and Best in Show for beading at the Perth Royal Show last year.
She is aiming to compete in the 2018 world championships in Europe in 2018.
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