SWIMMING
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She has blitzed the pool in Mudgee, the Western region and at NSW swimming meets, but now Georgi York has set her sights on bigger goals overseas.
Graduating from Mudgee High School in 2013, York will spend the next four years studying at the University of Idaho as part of a swimming scholarship she was offered by head coach Mark Sowa.
She is the only swimmer from Mudgee High School and Western NSW to achieve such an honour.
“We took the initiative to go out there and see what we could get,” the 19-year-old said.
“I thought it was going to happen in 2015 but ended up coming up a lot sooner.
“It was the whole community, not just family as you would expect, it was everybody, and I love that. They just love sport, they love anybody who plays it and that’s where I wanted to be.”
“We got in contact with schools and their coaches, and University of Idaho coach Mark Sowa was interested. We talked on the phone a few times and he offered me a scholarship.
“It is pretty exciting.”
York said she had looked at four universities including the one at Idaho.
She said studying abroad was always on the agenda.
“It was always a goal. I did the HSC last year, and I had to balance that and do the SATs for the American system,” she said.
“It was always the plan to go over there but then I got accepted into ANU at Canberra. I deferred from there because I wanted to see what I could do in America.”
York was to study law at Australian National University but instead will be majoring in English and journalism at University of Idaho.
“Just to have that opportunity, it is just going to be incredible,” she said.
A prolific swimmer for Mudgee Indoor Swimming Club and Mudgee High School, York picked up a swag of medals and set records in the pool.
She hopes that form can be transferred when she is competing in the States.
“Swimming wise, was the goal to get a scholarship and swim for the university,” she said.
“Pretty much to better myself. If I get any further in competition, conference meets, anything like that would be amazing for myself.
“They take their sport so seriously and so much to give especially for women’s sports.
“We went over to Hawaii last December and we went to a volleyball game and it was absolutely amazing how they all surrounded them.
“It was the whole community, not just family as you would expect, it was everybody, and I love that. They just love sport, they love anybody who plays it and that’s where I wanted to be.”
York will leave for the US on August 18 and starts at the University of Idaho on August 25.