Objects of Substance - Fifty metre Freestyle Trophy

Sisters Kirsteen, Fiona, and Megan Mackay: top three finishers in the Open 50m Freestyle Championship final 2005.

This event also heralded Australian representatives. Jennifer Corish (1961), winner from 1959 to 1961, and Minna Atherton (2017), winner 2013 and 2015. Both have represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games – Jennifer at Perth 1962 and Minna at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmigham 2022. Minna was one of the youngest winners of the Championship, winning it as a 12 year old in 2013. I definitely did not realise the significance of winning when I was in Year 8, as I was just swimming to have fun … (and) just there swimming for Beanland. I didn’t feel any pressure to win or do particularly well and I was definitely surprised that I did. I doubt the girls in the older years were very happy that a little Year 8 girl beat them though! It was always fun to race in front of the school, and as the years went on and I was seen more as ‘Minna the swimmer’ I did feel a bit more pressure to win the 50 free, but since I wasn’t technically a freestyler I always just did it for fun and didn’t let the pressure get to me. I always loved racing for Beanland and for BGGS as the crowd was always so supportive and loud. (Email, 10/9/23)

Minna Atherton (2017) – 2013 Winner.