Annabelle Williams gets the Gold and Green in Brisbane

Outstanding performances in the 50 Free and 50 Back at the World Cup trials at Chandler Pool handed Annabelle Williams a place on the Australian team in 2007.

Annabelle competed in the 50 Free, coming second in the MD and 1st in the S9 categories. She also won the 50 Back MD.

Recounting her performance in the 50 Free, Annabelle said the first 35m of the race felt good, and despite slowing down towards the end, she hung to post a 30.53, which guaranteed her place on the Australian team, to which she returns after a six month break following the Commonwealth Games earlier this year. She won the 50 Back in 35.96.

Annabelle said she would go on various camps as well as overseas trips to Canada and possibly the UK as part of the national squad.

She is a popular member of that squad. When she competed at the Commonwealth Games, she roomed in Melbourne with stars such as Olympic swimmers Jodie Henry and Alice Mills. She was also invited by Libby Lenton to Libby’s 21st birthday party in Brisbane.

Annabelle remembers her Commonwealth Games performance as the highlight of her swimming career so far. She recalls that after she collected her bronze medal the medallists had to do a lap of honour. “I looked up into the stands, I saw mum, and I burst out crying,” she said.

This was then followed by the emotional welcome PLC School put on for Annabelle when she returned. The school held a “Green and Gold day”, in which every student wore the Australian colours, and a Year 12 guard of honour was formed to welcome her. Annabelle said that even the principal, Dr McKeith joined in the action by dyeing his hair green and gold.

After the Commonwealth Games, Annabelle had a six month break, during which she also finished her HSC. She said the school had gone to extraordinary lengths to help her combine her schooling and swimming. Some teachers even gave her private lessons to make up for her absences due to training camps and competitions.

Annabelle’s coach at the Commonwealth Games, Justin Rothwell, departed earlier this year. New SSC PLC head coach Pancha Thambo took over and Annabelle is fitting well into his program. “Pancha is unbelievable,” she says. “You can see the respect the other swimmers have for him. He’s so selfless. I already owe him a lot.”

Annabelle is now in training with one goal: to make the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Given her success so far, there is no reason to doubt she’ll get there, possibly to join former PLC student Emma Johnson as the only two PLC swimmers to win medals at the Olympics.