DESPITE an injury setback Horsham’s Miette Hopper will compete in the Australian Age Championships in Brisbane this week.
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Miette was due to spend a week training in Ballarat in the lead up the national championships but injured herself on the second day.
Mother Nerissa said she pulled up sore and had spent time seeking treatment before the championships.
“She has a bit of a knee injury so she hasn’t done a lot in the lead in,” she said.
She will compete in the 14-year-old metre girls breaststroke heats on Wednesday morning before finals follow in the evening.
Nerissa said the injury would not hold Miette back.
“She will still go out there and she will still compete hard,” she said.
“It is just something she has to deal with and maybe it will be fine.”
Miette has previously not had to overcome many injuries but Nerissa said from the outside she just seems to be taking it all in her stride.
“This sort of thing does not seem to faze her,” she said.
“I’m not sure if that is good thing or not, some nerves might be good.
“She might get nervous on the day but it certainly is not showing at this point.”
At the state championships in February Miette won gold in the 50-metre breastroke.
She will draw on her experience at last year’s championships to keep herself focused on the challenge ahead.
“It is such a big accomplishment for a country girl living 200 kilometres from her coach to just get this far,” Nerissa said.
“Then there is all the travelling she has to do on top of that to compete.
“It is a real credit to her that she has come this far.”
The championships can be streamed live from the Swimming Australia website.