Her race was the 13-years 50m freestyle, and for her mother Donna McWhirter the fact that her daughter was able to swim was a huge accomplishment.

“She came 23rd in the state, so she’s in the top 25,” she said.

Brook McWhirter is in year 6 at Inverell Public School and her mother said she does not find school, or life, easy. She has learning disorders, a language disorder, autistic spectrum disorder and suffers from anxiety.

“It has been very hard for her to go this far because socially she doesn’t cope with crowds. For her to even get up on the blocks in the Sydney Stadium with a full crowd it was quite an achievement,” McWhirter said.

“She has learning problems, but the anxiety is the main thing. To get up on those blocks, for her, was amazing.”

A 12-year-old middle child of three her two brothers are soccer players, but Brooke McWhirter has always been a ‘water baby’.

“She liked being in the water when she was very young and has never stopped,” Donna McWhirter said.

“She has just taken a liking for swimming and at an early age and she just started doing butterfly out of the blue. She just has a natural talent towards swimming and she is built for freestyle and butterfly for sure.

“I’m very pleased with it (State). She trains herself, she doesn’t go through any squads, and she’s just an able, dedicated soul who is self motivated.

“She has trouble with the starts because she is worried that people are going to laugh at her, what people are thinking and what people are saying about her. On Wednesday she was very agitated and nearly vomiting.”

McWhirter said even her daughter’s walk to the marshalling area by herself after her race was called was a feat.

“We’ve just been gobsmacked with what she’s achieved.