That is on the minds of four young Dunedin swimmers as they prepare to head to Canberra to compete at the Australian State Teams Short Course Championships.
Caitlin Deans, Cecilia Crooks and Nick Pryde, all of the Neptune club, and Tame Govaerts-Paul, of Zenith, have been selected as part of the 39-strong New Zealand team to attend the meet, which runs from September 23 to 25.
Having represented New Zealand twice before, including at the same meet last year, Deans (16) was aware of the challenge ahead.
''Australia is a pretty strong nation in swimming, so it will be quite tough, but it'll be good competition to race against,'' she said.
She was not sure what events she would enter, but was looking at racing in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle, along with the 400m individual medley. Swimming fast times was her main focus.
''I'm not so focused on my placings, more the times I'm doing,'' she said.
''Having the Aussies racing next to you always pushes you along.''
She will compete in the 15 and 16-year-old women's section, alongside Crooks, who also attended last year's meet.
Crooks will swim the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle races, as well as the 400m individual medley. She agreed that the Australians would push her along.
''I think I'll be swimming faster times over there because they'll be faster and pushing me all the way,'' she said.
''My personal goal is to go and do the best I possibly can, so [to get] personal bests.''
For Govaerts-Paul and Pryde it will be their first time representing their country. They will swim in the 16 and 17-year-old men's section. Both were excited and expected a step up in competition.
''I've had a look at what [times] they swam last year and it will definitely be a lot tougher than what I'm used to,'' Govaerts-Paul, who will swim the 50m and 100m freestyle as well as the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, said.
''It will be good to get some experience racing faster people.''
Pryde, who will do the 400m and 1500m, along with the 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley, was looking forward to his first meet away and said it would be ''pretty big time''.
All four are trained by coach Gennadiy Labara and do eight to nine swims a week in training, while also fitting in gym sessions.
The meet involves New Zealand and the Australian states compete for points to win the overall team prize.
Ten Otago schools will be represented at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Swimming Championships this week.
The event, which runs from September 9 to 11 at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, will feature 23 Otago swimmers.
Columba College will send the largest Otago contingent, with seven swimmers, while St Hilda's Collegiate will send four.
Three swimmers will represent St Kevin's College, while two come from Mount Aspiring College and South Otago High School. Otago Boys' High School, Otago Girls' High School, Taieri College, Roxburgh Area School and John McGlashan will send one each.
The meet has attracted 552 swimmers from 150 schools across the country. Last year's overall meet winners were Napier Girls' High School and Westlake Boys' High School.
-By Jeff Cheshire
