Swim star Ariarne Titmus says she’s feeling in great shape nearly a year out from the Paris Olympics, and is also setting herself up for success outside the pool.
Ariarne Titmus has won gold in the women’s 200 metre freestyle, setting a new Commonwealth Games record at 1:53.89.
Australians Mollie O’Callaghan and Madison Wilson won silver and bronze in the same event, finishing one and three seconds behind Titmus.
The men’s 400 metre freestyle also brought an all-Australian podium as Elijah Winnington, Sam Short and Mack Horton came in first, second and third.
After buying her first home in the Brisbane suburb of Teneriffe last year, the 22-year-old purchased a new car and took a European holiday after her gold-medal blitz at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
It was “an awesome reward” for the hard work she’s put in with super coach Dean Boxall at the St Peters Western pool at Indooroopilly.
Titmus and Boxall are now set to front a new Bank of Queensland program designed to help younger Australians smash their financial savings goals.
They have joined forces for a lighthearted advertising campaign for BOQ’s Goal Getter challenge, which launches on Thursday.
Olympian and myBOQ ambassador Ariarne Titmus in Brisbane. Picture: Richard Walker
“Dean and I are very excited to team up and help young Aussies kickstart their financial fitness by tackling themes such as discipline, balance, consistency and moderation,” Titmus said.
“These are all behaviours I need to be focused on not only with hitting my financial goals, but also my goals in the pool, so I have plenty of stories and lessons from my swimming career to share exclusively with participants.”
The BOQ program encourages participants to “become a savings champ in six weeks” as interest rates on savings accounts tip over the 5 per cent mark.
In the pool, Titmus says she’s on course for a big 12 months after winning the 400m and 800m Australian titles in April, but losing her 200m crown to young Queenslander Mollie O’Callaghan.
“Between the beginning of the year up til now, I needed to make some shifts in my training to feel as prepared as possible, mentally and physically,” Titmus said.
“Preparations over the last six weeks in particular has been really good. I feel I’m in a great headspace and I’m performing at a high level at training. I feel my mind and body are finally working in sync and I’m on track to where I need to be.