Like many swimmers who live in the Eurobodalla however, she must travel to achieve her goal.

Eddy, 13, relies on her grandfather and mother to drive her more than 200 kilometres every week so she can practise at the Shoalhaven Leisure Centre’s 25-metre indoor pool at Ulladulla. 

Grandfather Ray Sheiles believes Eddy has a gift for swimming but it requires training, something she cannot do during winter in her home town. 

“We travel up here twice a week, we would come up on Mondays as well but the squad in Ulladulla is booked out on Mondays,” Mr Sheiles said. 

“It takes us an hour each way. I pick Eddy up straight from school and we have something to eat on the way and then she swims with the squad.

“She needs to swim in order to maintain her times. If she stopped in winter she wouldn’t be able to improve.”

Eddy has competed in regional and state level competitions and currently swims 50 metres freestyle in 36 seconds. 

Eddy’s story is similar to that of many in the Eurobodalla who travel to use an indoor pool during the winter season for aqua-aerobics, squad training or therapy. 

For more than 20 years Batemans Bay residents have campaigned for an indoor aquatic centre.

This financial year the proposal will be put under the microscope when Eurobodalla Shire Council employs a project manager to determine its financial viability. 

Eddy’s mother Charmaine Hogan, an avid campaigner of the Batemans Bay indoor aquatic centre, hopes to see a pool under construction in the next few years.

“Hopefully if all goes well when they prepare the business case to council then the project can start straight away,” Ms Hogan said. 

“The indoor pool needs close to $9 million in funding to be built and that should not be so hard to find. 

“I don’t think Eddy is alone, there are lots of kids who would swim all year-round if they were able to, but many can’t because their parents work or they simply can’t afford to drive the distance.

“If we had a pool 

in Batemans Bay we would swim everyday.”