Owen is on track for Olympic glory

Year 11 student Owen Krueger was talked into joining Westbourne’s swim team in Year 7. Now he’s on track to qualify for the national team and to potentially win “gold for Australia”.

Like many Australians, Owen Krueger spent plenty of time at the beach growing up. But while he considered himself a strong swimmer, he never thought about doing it competitively. Then Samantha Grant, Westbourne Swim Club Coach, suggested that he join Westbourne’s recently formed swim team.

Within 12 months, Owen was competing at a national level. Now aged 16, this year Owen achieved extraordinary results at the Australian Age Championships, winning bronze against the best swimmers in the country. He also dominated at the ACS Swimming Championships, winning all five of his races, breaking two records, and being named swimmer of the meet. If all goes well, Owen might just reach his goal of representing Australia at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games or even the Olympic Games.

It might look like Owen’s success came easy. But both Owen and his coach, Jacob Sell, Westbourne Swim Club Head Coach, are quick to point out it owes as much to grinding away as it does to the swimmer’s physique, which he developed while swimming and surfing as a kid.

“I might have been a natural, but I had no idea about technique when I started,” he says. “I had to learn technique and how to handle pressure and swim strategically. I might have reached the national level early on, but it has taken years to move from the back of the pack to where I am now. But I kept at it, my technique improved, and my times dropped. Eventually, I started winning medals. At the recent Australian Age Championships, I set a personal best, swimming the 50-metre Fly in 24.95 seconds.

That’s an assessment Owen’s coach agrees with. “Owen is naturally gifted and was competing at a club, state and national level within a year of joining the school team,” Jacob says. “But he’s spent the last three years working hard to get to the level he’s now at.”

As close to becoming a household name as he is, Owen doesn’t feel under too much pressure. He notes that it’s now common for swimmers to continue competing into their thirties, so he is taking a slow and steady approach. Owen plans to keep both studying and swimming for the next few years. “I want to keep my grades up while I’m at Westbourne and then study sports science at uni,” he explains.

“The good thing about training early in the morning is that you’ve got the rest of the day free.”

To Owen’s surprise, the endless hours he put into swimming practice also lifted his grades. “I had to get better at time management, and I did,” he recalls. “I became more self-disciplined in general. I cut out junk food and started eating healthier, for example. I also  topped procrastinating; I became much more efficient around getting things done.”

All swimmers need to develop mental toughness. Those who specialise in the more demanding strokes need to be especially resilient. Owen has endured plenty of agony in the pool and spent many hours working on his ‘muscular endurance’ at the gym to get to

where he now is. While he competed in a range of events earlier in his career, he now specialises in butterfly and freestyle. “I can now sprint 100 metres doing butterfly without it feeling too tiring,” he says.

While Owen is justly proud of his achievements, he’s also keen to credit those who’ve helped him over the years and repay his good fortune.

He recently raised over $1000 by putting in 120 hours at the pool for the Starlight Super Swim.

He also insists on sharing the credit for his athletic achievements with Westbourne’s sports department staff. Firstly, Samantha Grant for suggesting he might want to “give the swim team a go” half a decade ago. Secondly, Jacob Sell for providing endless advice and encouragement. Thirdly, Westbourne’s Director of Sport, Matthew Healy, for ensuring he’s always had access to the resources he needs to excel. And, finally, to Westbourne staff in general, “for being so supportive”.

Owen is also keen to pass on the “give it a go” advice he received halfway through Year 7.

“If you’re a Westbourne student who enjoys swimming, I’d recommend giving the swim team a go. At a minimum, you’ll probably develop better habits and do better at school.”