PENOLA Para-Sport swimmer Ebony Prelc, hit the national scene last week, debuting at the Australian Long Course Commonwealth Games Trials on the Gold Coast.
She smashed both times set in the State Swimming Championships last January.
Her heats progressed her into Australian homes through television screens Thursday night, where she swam a personal best in the 100m S9 freestyle, finishing seventh in the final.
Saturday she finished sixth in Australia in the S9 100m backstroke, slashing three seconds off her heat time that morning.
This was only one second off the SA State Long Course record.
Prelc currently holds the state title in both 50m and 100m back, and state records in the Short Course backstroke events.
Prelc has now returned to Adelaide where she has started a double degree in Teaching and Disabilities at Flinders University.
Recognised as an elite athlete, the University actively supports Prelc and other athletes to maintain demands to balance study and involvement in high-level sporting participation.
Prelc was well supported by her new Immanuel Pirahnahs coach, highly acclaimed Carolyn Veldheyzen, her family and partner at the national event.
“Friends, family, swim club friends and community from the South East offered overwhelming support via text and social media,” Prelc’s mother Karyn said.
“This assisted Ebony so much as she dealt with media, high level competition and extreme heat at her first major event of this kind.
“She was so grateful and humbled.
“The young swimmers Ebony has coached from both the Mount Gambier Club and Immanuel iSwim complex in Adelaide, stayed up to watch and cheer.
“We were just so proud and very emotional.”
