In the pool, the 12-year-old and Tamworth City Swimming Club teammate and friend Grace Milgate bring out the best in each other.

“We push each other,” Evelia said on Sunday at the 2018 Tamworth City Long Course Qualifying Carnival.

“If she's in front of me, I try and get up with her and if I'm in front, she's trying to get up with me. And we always shake hands at the end.”

Grace agreed.

“If she's in front of me I think ‘I've gotta catch up with Veli’,” 12-year-old Grace said.

The competitiveness doesn’t finish when racing does, though.

Evelia’s older brother Brinez, 14, admitted the pair compare their results after a swim meet.

“At home when we’ve finished, [we see] who won the most [races] and that sort of thing,” Brinez said.

The bragging rights seemed to be shared between the siblings in the heat at the Tamworth Swimming Pool on Sunday.

Both said they registered a bunch of personal best times and made it through to the Dash For Cash races in their respective ages.

The fastest seven 50-metre freestyle swimmers on the day face off in the dash in the 12 and under and 13 and over age groups.

Brinez claimed second in his dash while Evelia finished fourth.

Grace wasn’t sluggish on Sunday, either. The swimmer had been working on her longer races and it showed as Grace shaved a whopping six seconds off her personal best 400-metre freestyle time.

Tamworth City Swimming Club president Grant Simm said fast times were the theme for the day.

“There has been some quick times. A number of kids have swum personal best times across the board, not just our club,” Simm said.

“Kids have been doing some training over Christmas by the looks of things.

“I didn't know how the kids would go with fatigue, toward the end of the day especially, but the times – they've been pretty slick.”

The mercury peaked at a tick under 40 degrees on Sunday but the Tamworth club was prepared.

“It hasn't been as hot as we expected but we've got the [water] sprays here for the kids to stay under,” Simm said.

“There’s shade shelters everywhere and we've bought the town out of water.

“It’s just a matter of keeping everyone out of the sun and doing the sensible thing.

“It’s a good day to be in the pool.”