Australia has long been home to some of the world’s greatest swimmers, and now, a new name is making waves: Sienna Toohey.
At just 16, the teen from Albury, New South Wales, has captured the nation’s attention after a sensational performance at the Australian Swimming Trials. Racing against some of the country’s best, she stormed home to win the 100m breaststroke final with a personal best time of 1:06.55 — a time that not only earned her a win but also secured her a spot at the upcoming World Championships in Singapore.
Through tears, she told reporters after the race: “I was just so nervous, but I’m just so happy that I’ve done it now. It’s a lot. I’ve been doing very hard training — more than I’ve ever done before, so I’m very happy that it’s paid off.”
So who is Sienna Toohey — and how did this small-town schoolgirl rise to the top of one of Australia’s most competitive sports?
Who is Sienna Toohey?
Hailing from Albury on the NSW-Victoria border, Sienna is part of the Albury Amateur Swim Club. She originally aimed to be a water polo player. It came down to a choice between that sport and swimming. And clearly she made the right decision!
There are currently no indoor swimming pool facilities in Albury, so she has had to train outdoors in all weather conditions. In fact, for the last six weeks, the swimmer has had to move away from her family and stay in Canberra for her training.
“It’s been very hard living in Canberra for the last six weeks,” she told reporters after her win in Adelaide.
“I know my brothers would miss me so much. They’ve just given up so much for me to be able to do this…I know that all of [Albury] support me so much…Coming out here, I just knew that I wanted to get it because I’ve made a lot of sacrifices, and so have my family.”
Sienna Toohey’s rise has shone a spotlight on the need for better resources for young athletes in regional Australia. Her success has prompted calls — including from Olympic great Cate Campbell — for the construction of an indoor pool in Albury to support the next generation of swimmers.
Sienna Toohey’s other accomplishments
This isn’t the first time Sienna’s made a splash on the national stage. In 2024, she broke a 24-year-old age record set by Olympic legend Leisel Jones in the 100m breaststroke, clocking a stunning 1:07.01 at the Olympic Trials in Brisbane.
Although she finished third and narrowly missed selection for the Paris Olympics, her performance marked her as a rising star in Australian swimming.
Fast forward to April 2025, and Sienna dominated at the Australian Age and Multi-Class Age Swimming Championships in Brisbane. She walked away with four gold medals and two Australian age records — including the 50m breaststroke in just 30.73 seconds. That time made her the ninth-fastest Australian woman ever in the event!
