Swimming: Tilani Smith excitedly preparing for her first national championships

The Tamworth teenager is not only one of the best swimmers for her age in Country NSW but is getting ready to test herself against the best in the country.

Smith will swim at next month's Australian Age Swimming Championships after qualifying in the 13 years girls 200m breaststroke.

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The Tamworth City swimmer achieved the qualifying time at the NSW Country Championships, where she won gold in the 100m breaststroke, silver in the 200m and bronze in the 200m individual medley.

Going into the championships needing to slice five seconds off her time, Smith initially thought she had missed out. Learning a couple of days later she had qualified was a nice surprise.

"I was very happy," she said.

Now she is excitedly preparing for what will be her first meet at the national level.

"I'm a bit nervous but I'll train hard and try and do well," she said.

Before the Country Championships training five times a week, she has upped that to seven.

The 13-year old started squad training when she was about five, following her older sister Molly into the water.

"I used to watch my sister swim up and down the pool," she said.

"Then one day the coach said to me to jump in, and I used to swim one lap and walk back."

Previously with 360 Scully Park, Smith moved to Tamworth City before this summer.

Breaststroke is her favourite stroke, although that hasn't always been the case.

"I've swapped and changed strokes a fair bit, I was doing butterfly and then I was doing backstroke, but I'm really enjoying my breaststroke," Smith said.

Sharks coach Nicholas Monet said Smith has developed very well over the season. She is "still learning", he said, but "has a lot of potential".

In Year 8 at McCarthy, Smith also plays netball and oztag.

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