For Tiarna, 16, of Beaumont Hills, it's not hard to see where her love of swimming began.

Mum, Terina, is a national champ and aunt, Jenny Whiteley, a World Masters Games gold medallist and the current NSW Masters Athlete of the Year.

``I look up to them a lot,'' Tiarna said. ``They have helped me so much.''

Tiarna is a member of the Castle Hill RSL Dolphins and The Hills Swimming and Lifesaving Club (she is currently The Hills Lifesaving girls club captain).

Her most recent success was at the 2009 Royal Life Saving Society of Australia (RLSSA) Australian National Grand Prix Swimming Championships and the 2009 RLSSA Australian National Short Course Swimming Championships.

Both were held in Adelaide.

At the National Grand Prix, she was crowned the 2009 Australian U16 girls champion after winning four gold and one silver.

At the National Short Course comp, she came home with three gold and one silver to be crowned the 2009 Australian U16 girls champion.

She also won two gold medals in the women's open relay and set a new Australian national record in the girls U16, 100 metre super lifesaver event with a time of 1:26.19.

``To have done so well in both competitions, I was just so pleased,'' Tiarna said.

``I have the metro championships coming up this year for swimming, and I want to do well in that also.

``I love competing in both swimming (her forte is 50 metre backstroke) and lifesaving and I enjoy them both.''

Her other achievements include being chosen as a Junior Barra (with the Australian Lifesaving team) to compete for Australia at the Arafura Pacific Games in Darwin. The team were overall winners.

Also competing for The Hills Swimming and Lifesaving Club is Ben Fishburn, Matthew Mitchell, Andrew Bowden, Jane Cooper and Jessica Mitchell.