Gunnedah swimmer Molly Ramien becomes four-time Qld champ

Gunnedah swimmer Molly Ramien has achieved remarkable success in the pool since her move to Queensland, and is now a four-time state champion after a gold medal-winning performance at the Queensland School Sport Swimming Championships in Brisbane last week.

The 12-year-old won three individual gold in the 200m individual medley, 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke and a gold in the 4x50m freestyle relay over three days at the Chandler Aquatic Centre – earning her a spot on the Queensland team to compete at her second school Nationals.

Clocking personal best times, she also made the finals in the 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 50m freestyle where she placed two close fourths and an eighth. The top three in each event go on to compete against the best in Australia at Nationals on the Gold Coast in July.

Molly made the move to the mighty St Peters Western Swim Club in Brisbane early this year, which is led by Olympic and World Championship gold medal coach Dean Boxall.

Molly in St Peters colours at the recent QGSSSA swimming championships in Brisbane.

She is coached by Rio Games Olympian Jacob Hansford in the state performance squad, and has already broken two records in the 12 years girls 50m freestyle at her district and regional carnivals – both of them stood for more than 20 years.

Molly, despite touching the wall in a close second place, also came under the 12 years girls 50m freestyle A-division record at the 89th Annual QGSSSA Swimming Championships – a long-standing supreme girls swim competition involving 10 GPS schools and hundreds of female swimmers across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. St Peters Lutheran College won the event for the 11th year in a row, with Molly’s 12 years girls team taking out their age pennant.

Recognised for her work ethic at training and time trials, Molly won an award at the QGSSSA championships for the hardest worker in her St Peters age division, which was presented to her by world junior backstroke champion and fellow St Peters swimmer Jaclyn Barclay.

The former St Xavier’s Primary school student won a spot on the NSW team last year to compete at school Nationals after winning the 11 years girls 50m backstroke at the 2023 NSW PSSA State Swimming Championships at Homebush. Her season’s times qualified her to swim several other events.

In an amazing swim at Nationals, she won gold and the Australian title in the 100m backstroke, as well as silver in the 50m backstroke and gold in the 12 years girls medley relay.

Molly will now enjoy a well-earned break with her family and friends in Gunnedah during the Easter holidays before heading back to Queensland.