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Australia’s Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Isaac Cooper (pictured above left) and fellow Paris 2024 hopeful Sam Short have been named as the two latest inclusions in the innovative Rackley Swim Team Athlete Support Program.

City Venue Management (CVM), operator of 27 learn-to-swim schools and facilities across South East Queensland under the Rackley Swimming brand, is the key sponsor of the innovative program which offers those athletes signed to 12-month contracts:

• Monthly financial support;
• All Squad training fees;
• Personal development mentoring/coaching;
• Marketing/Social and Media support/training; and
• Professional work experience.

CVM Chief Executive, Reece Rackley and Rackley Swim Team Centenary Head Coach Damien Jones, consider The Rackley Athlete Support Program to be the first of its kind in the Australian swimming landscape.

Cooper (aged 17) and Short (aged 18), will join original Tier One members, Tokyo bronze medallist Tommy Neill, Louis Townsend, Bronte Job and Carla Buchanan as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Rackley Swimming Director of Sport Pathways, Anastasia Ellerby has welcomed Cooper and Short into the innovative support program.

“We welcome Isaac and Sam as our second year inclusions to a program which will enable our athletes the ability to focus on benchmark events without the concern of financial load from physio/ massage/ travel/ camps and other support needed for optimum athlete development,” Ellerby said.

“They will receive a monthly payment and are supplied with Rackley Swim team, Silk Laundry and Base Compression gear with all squad fees included in the Support Program terms.

“It will also cover cost of support services such as personal profile workshops/mentoring and film and media training as well as social media guidance.”

Cooper (pictured above) comes from Bundaberg and was the surprise packet of Australia’s record-breaking Tokyo Olympic team, forcing his way to Tokyo when he finished second to triple-Olympian Mitch Larkin in the 100 metre backstroke at the Olympic Trials in Adelaide.

Cooper qualified for the semi-finals in his Olympics debut, finishing 12th in the 100metre backstroke before swimming in the heats of the 4x100 metre Mixed Medley Relay Team that won bronze.

Like the original first four recipients, Cooper and Short had to undergo a rigorous application and interview process before CVM announced the pair as the latest recipients and team ambassadors.

Cooper, who came to Head Coach Jones at Brisbane’s Centenary Pool via Toowoomba only 12 months ago, admitted he was surprised after only being involved with the Rackley Team for just shy of 12 months sharing “I am very thankful for my inclusion in the Rackley Athlete Support Program but I wasn’t expecting to make it.

 “I haven’t been in the Rackley squad a year yet and even though I have only been in the club going on almost 12 months now, it is one of the closest families I’ve ever been in.

“It’s a pleasure to go to training every morning to be around these amazing people and some amazing coaches and also to represent their colours and to be standing on the podium alongside my brothers in arms...

“Rackleys are looking for a higher calibre of swimmer ...not just a standard State or National swimmer...they are looking to foster great people as well as great swimmers...

“And I’m glad I have been chosen for this role....”

Sam Short (pictured above left) was regarded as one of the unluckiest swimmers at the Australian Trials, finishing second in the 1500metre freestyle, narrowly missing the Australian qualifying time for Tokyo – despite swimming under the Fina A qualifying time.

Short advises “the Support Program will allow me to focus on my swimming career and I won’t have to get a part time job and distract myself.

“It will allow me to purely focus on my training....as well as gaining other experiences in team building and leadership, including advice in such thing as media, social media, and sponsorship. It is a great opportunity while I’m still concentrating on my swimming career.

“What I have already learnt is not to put all your eggs in one basket.

“I’m sure there will be bigger things coming in 2022 – after a bitter sweet experience after the Trials.

“I spent some time with a sports psychologist just to get my head around things so I could re-focus and attack the next season....

“I’m excited for what lies ahead and I’ve been training well and I really want to tackle the 1500 freestyle and really bring my times down.

“It is such a good squad at Rackleys; the training environment is really elite; it is very competitive; there is no hiding and it brings out the best in everyone.”

The Rackley Swim team objective is to provide a professional and collaborative approach to high-performance outcomes both in and out of the pool. The club have also welcomed new sponsors to the program this year Base Compression and fashion label Silk Laundry.

The Rackley Athlete Support Team members will all set themselves for the Australian Championships and Selection Trials at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide (17th-22^nd May) – the major meet for the re-scheduled FINA World Championships in Budapest (18^th June -3^rd July) and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (28^th July- 8^th August).

The Rackley Swim Team will all be in action this weekend at the Brisbane Senior Metropolitan Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.

Images from top: Isaac Cooper and Sam Short. Credit:Wade_Brennan; Isaac Cooper; Rackley Swim Team Sam Short, Bronte Job and Isaac Cooper; Rackley Swim Team underwater Isaac Cooper, Carla Buchanan, Sam Short, Bronte Job, Louis Townsend. Credit Wade Brennan

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