Two rising Sunshine Coast swimmers have been selected for a prestigious national training camp after strong performances at the Australian championships.
Sunshine Coast Grammar School Year 12 student Rylee Smith and club swimmer Mason Kopff, along with the school’s Head Coach and Director of Swimming Luke Stafford, have been invited by Swimming Australia to attend the Australian Flippers Squad Open Water Camp.
The selection follows standout results by both swimmers at the 2026 Australian Age and Open Championships, where they secured places among the country’s top emerging open water athletes.
The camp will help prepare the swimmers for upcoming international competitions, with Smith set to compete at World Cup events in Spain and Italy, while Kopff is preparing for the World Junior Open Water Championships in Argentina later this year.
This year marks Smith’s second selection for the national camp and Kopff’s first, while Stafford has been appointed to the national coaching team for the fourth consecutive year.
Stafford said the camp offered a valuable opportunity for young athletes to develop their skills in a high-performance environment.
“This camp is an incredible opportunity for our swimmers to push their limits and learn from each other in a competitive and supportive environment,” he said.
Smith said she was excited to return to the camp and looked forward to stepping into a leadership role among the younger athletes.
“I am looking forward to training alongside some of the best open water swimmers in the country and refining my race strategies,” she said.
Kopff said he was eager to learn more about race tactics and gain experience as he builds towards the world championships later this year.
The national camp brings together some of Australia’s leading youth open water swimmers and coaches for a series of training sessions and strategy development.
Participants are based at Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, with training sessions held at the UniSC Aquatic Centre and OzSki Resort from March 11 to 15.
