Currently, she stands as one of the most prominent figures in Australian sports, primarily due to her remarkable achievements in swimming. Recently, she was seen having a delightful experience during her very first swimming lesson, with her father supporting her as she learned to float.
This swimming sensation is only 23 years old, coached by the same expert who transformed Leisel Jones and Stephanie Rice into household names, and proudly represents Tasmania.
If you’re still guessing, she’s Ariarne Titmus, the Aussie swimming champion who secured three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics and has already added gold to her collection at the Paris Games.
In the image, she is seen with her father Steve, testing the waters long before anyone anticipated she would emerge as one of the nation’s foremost swimmers.
Having grown up in Launceston, Titmus developed a passion for swimming from a young age.
‘I clearly remember her initial swimming lesson,’ her father Steve reminisced.
‘Ariarne consistently submerged her head underwater, and the instructor grew quite frustrated, repeatedly saying, “Ariarne, stop putting your head under the water; we will get to that soon.”
‘I can recall it vividly as it was one of those enlightening moments.
‘It was evident that Arnie adored being in the water, making her early swimming lessons a true joy.’
Ariarne Titmus is pictured with her dad Steve during her first swimming lesson in Tasmania
A decade ago, Titmus was already making waves as a talented teenager in Brisbane
With her sights set firmly on swimming, Titmus and her family made the decision to relocate from Tasmania to Queensland to seek enhanced swimming prospects.
‘If one member goes, we all go,’ stated her mother Robyn.
‘We were all in agreement on this.’
After settling in Brisbane, Titmus began her training with Dean Boxall, a South African-born coach at the St Peters Western Swim Club in Indooroopilly, the same club that developed Australian gold medalists Jones and Rice.
It didn’t take long before she started making headlines on the international stage.
In 2016, during the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships held in Hawaii, Titmus earned silver in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay and bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.
Titmus is pictured with her long-standing coach Dean Boxall, who has guided her to two incredibly successful Olympic Games
Titmus has already collected a gold medal at the Paris Olympics and is gunning for another early on Tuesday morning in the 200m freestyle
A couple of years later, at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she achieved three gold medals — in the 400-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyle, and the 4×200-meter freestyle relay — alongside a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle.
This marked just the beginning of Titmus’ illustrious journey on the global swimming stage, culminating in her gold medal performances at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan both advanced smoothly into the 200m freestyle final on Monday night as the top two qualifiers.
Titmus finished in one minute 54.64 seconds, a mere six-hundredths of a second ahead of O’Callaghan in second place.
Just six weeks ago, Titmus shattered O’Callaghan’s world record in this event, with the Paris final set to be an exhilarating face-off between the swimmers, both of whom are coached by Dean Boxall.
By winning gold in the women’s 400m freestyle, Titmus joined Dawn Fraser as the only Aussie women to defend their individual swimming gold medals
Titmus hugs her parents Steve and Robyn after winning the women’s 400m freestyle final
Titmus aims to make history as the first swimmer to successfully defend her 200m and 400m freestyle titles at an Olympic Games.
On the previous Saturday night, she achieved the first part of her double by winning the 400m freestyle, while O’Callaghan also secured gold as part of Australia’s victorious 4x100m freestyle relay team.
Titmus was overwhelmed by the prospect of becoming only the second Australian woman to retain an Olympic title after the legendary Dawn Fraser.
Fraser, who watched from the enthusiastic stands at the Paris La Defense Arena, claimed gold in the 100m freestyle at the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Games.
‘I can hardly comprehend that it’s me,’ Titmus reflected on joining Fraser’s ranks.
‘Racing against the best in the world is exhilarating. It brings out the best in me. I hope that all the hype leads to meeting expectations.’
‘I see myself as an ordinary person … just the same cheerful Tassie girl fulfilling her dreams.’
