By Emily-Rose Toohey
Stanthorpe local Ben Armbruster has qualified for the Australian Commonwealth Games swimming team, set to take place at the end of July.
At the National Championships over the weekend, he placed second in the 50m Backstroke (which he will be swimming at the games), first in the 18 to 20 years 100m Butterfly, and second in the 18 to 20 years 50m Butterfly.
Ben, who started swimming when he was four-years-old, said he was excited but still processing the news.
“I wasn’t expecting to make it,” he said.
“I’ve been working really hard in training and this experience will be great to learn and get better.”
Ben’s first coach was Stanthorpe Pool’s Gail Smail, and he said she taught him how to swim.
“I owe it all to Gail – I built an excellent foundation and she said to train in all strokes which would make me a valuable swimmer,” he said.
Gail taught Ben until he left Stanthorpe and she said he was in her learn to swim squad all the way through to her development squad.
“He had a natural ability,” Gail said.
Ben’s mum Shannon Armbruster said the National Championships shifted from April to May and as a result, the meet was combined with Commonwealth Games selection.
“I spoke to him through Facetime after we found out and he’d gotten his Australian shirt,” Shannon said.
Shannon has played a major part in Ben’s swimming career and said the Stanthorpe Pool only opened half the year due to the cold.
As a result, she said that Ben only started travelling to Warwick for year-round training after making it on to the Queensland squad as a high school senior.
“He played basketball and soccer in the summer months,” Shannon said.
Upon finding out the major selection news, she said it was a bit of a shock.
“We thought maybe he’d make it in for Paris Olympics 2024,” she said.
Although Ben now trains at Bond University, Gail said she has been there for him all the way.
“We’ll be with him and all of Stanthorpe will be behind him,” she said.
“I’m thrilled and ecstatic for him.”
The Commonwealth Games will occur between the 28 July and 8 August this year in Birmingham.
