Competing at the Combined High School (CHS) State Championships earlier in April, Jasmine was on the podium after three races.

Jasmine’s competition was tough and quick – the tightest race was the 12-year-old’s 100-metre butterfly event in which just three hundredths of a second separated her from the winner.

“The winner reached the wall just a fingernail before me,” she said.

But even in second place she was impressive, cutting 7.7 seconds off her previous best time.

“The competition in freestyle was pretty tough, but it’s not my best stroke,” Jasmine said.

In the 100m and 200m freestyle, Jasmine finished 10th and 6th but cut 2.95 and 4.5 seconds from her times.

She will now head to the All-Schools finals in Sydney on May 5, where she will compete against swimmers from the public and independent schools.

“If I make it through, I’ll be able to head to the nationals in Melbourne,” Jasmine said.

Now with the taste for the podium, Jasmine is determined to improve in the 100m breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly and has her sights set on gold.

She’s also been making the most of her school holiday time to train with Noel Poynter for up four hours a day.

From 7 or 8am through to 10am and then again from 2pm to 4pm, she has been working on her starts, turns and finishes and practising sprinting.

Jasmine has also been refining her butterfly technique.

She said the secret was to keep your head down and keep kicking.

“I want to get gold,” she said. “I was so close.”

Jasmine's terrific times

100m butterfly

Second place

1min14.35sec

7.7 seconds under personal best (PB)

100m backstroke

Second

6.81secs off PB

100m breaststroke

Third - 1:29.06

5.33secs off PB

100m freestyle

10th -1:11.13

2.95secs off PB

200m freestyle

Sixth - 2:33.11

4.5secs off PB

200m individual medley

10th -2:42.83

2.17secs off PB