A MANDURAH teen has taken snorkelling to a new level, representing Australia at the World Bog Snorkelling Championship in Wales.
Shawnalese Norris has been in Europe for the past three months holidaying and has been training hard for the event.
The championship involved hundreds of competitors in fancy dress taking turns to swim an up-and-back lap of a 100m long bog trench filled with mud and sticks.
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Combine these hazards with zero vision and the freezing Welsh weather and it becomes no easy task.
The swimmers used nothing but their fins to propel themselves through the water, with the fastest contestant named the world champion.
Norris led the field for most of the day before being pipped by the last few contestants.
She finished fifth overall and was the second fastest female swimmer. Norris’ father Ethen Bell and the rest of her family supported her from home and were overjoyed by the result.
“It’s huge, it’s one thing she said she was going to try for and she got there, and she did really well. We’re incredibly proud,” he said.
Norris returns home next week.