One of Australia's foremost swim coaches has called on Swimming NSW to do more to help country kids reach their potential.
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At just 12 years old Warren's Maddie Marks has earned selection on the NSW PSSA swim team for the second time, after strong performances at the state titles at Sydney Olympic Park last month.
But she's travelling 220-kilometre round trips up to five times a week to train with Coonamble's 'Whiskey' Andriske, and he says she's not the only one.
"I've got a few kids that travel from out in the bush for two sessions everyday," said the renowned coach of 40 years.
"[Maddie] travels everyday to Coonamble, it costs the parents a fortune, she's travelling there to train, in holiday time she does two sessions a day and they get no support in terms of fuel so it's a mighty job just to bring her over.
Andriske trained rising stars Lydia Murray and Lachie Colwell when they were younger, before both were sent to swim and finish their schooling on scholarships in Queensland.
"That's why we sent Lydia Murray up to Queensland, because they look after them," he said.
"Whereas out here ... NSW Swimming if they'd support the bush kids that have got to travel ... [because] it's a hard hurdle for them.
"They've got a lot of talented kids around here. The main thing is they need support."
Maddie made a splash at last month's NSW PSSA Championships, earning bronze in the 200m individual medley and also earning top 10 finishes in the 100m freestyle (fourth), 50m butterfly (sixth), 50m freestyle (ninth) and 50m backstroke (ninth).
The 12-year-old's success saw her selected to represent NSW in IM, 100m butterfly and freestyle relay (B team) at the School Sport Australia Championships in Melbourne in August.
Dubbo City Swimtech's Bianca Fuller will also compete at the SSA Championships from July 27.
Maddie dominated the Western Area Carnival at the Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre in March, where she was crowned junior girls champion of the meet and 2018-19 junior girls overall point score champion.
Dad Jason said he and Maddie's mum Lindy were "really proud".
"She's worked hard enough to get to where she is," he said.
"It's a lot of effort for everyone.
"It's all worthwhile when she can make it through."
Maddie last represented NSW at the 2017 Pacific School Games, but burn-out saw her miss out on the team in 2018.
But Jason said it was a "blessing in disguise", as she wouldn't have had access to the Dubbo RSL Club's heated pool to train, and benefitted from the rest.
"She was tired, she just needed that break and this time we gave her two or three months off," Andriske said.
"She's come back better than ever.
"They've got to have that break - we found that out because when it came into the summer time, she was stale. She'd just had enough."
He praised Maddie's resilience, saying many kids who had made state teams would give up if they couldn't repeat the success.
"They get in a low and they don't bounce back but Maddie really knuckled down," Andriske said.
"She worked hard - she was loving her training."
Maddie is not the only talent emerging from Andriske's program, with Coonamble's Neil Kennedy and Kate Ibbott, Dubbo's Rhayne Shanks and Bathurst's Ruby and Harry Thorne also showing great promise.
Swimming NSW has been contacted for comment.
