The Lakes College Swim Club goes from strength to strength

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Photo above: Swimmer Lachlan Farlow with Director of Aquatics Mackenzie Speechley.

The Lakes College Swim Club at North Lakes has been promoted to Division 1 in the Swimming Brisbane Premiership competition in just their third year, after a successful 2024/25 season.

Director of Aquatics Mackenzie Speechley says the club has gone from strength to strength since starting in Division 3 in 2022.

“We received promotion from Division 3 to Division 2 in our first year. We have just received promotion from Division 2 to Division 1 in the 2024/25 season for 2025/26,” Mackenzie explains.

It comes after the club won second place in Division 2 for the 2024/2025 season.

“Across the year, the club consistently finished on the podium, placing first at Relay Champs, second at Sprint Champs and third at Junior Champs. That’s the reason why we got promoted,” he says.

“As a club, what we’re building is a space, an environment and a team where our total points scoring shows some really good strengths across the board.”

Mackenzie says a strong club culture in all age groups is important to performing well at all levels, with learn-to-swim pupils progressing to juniors and those swimmers flowing through to seniors in time.

TLC Swim Club has athletes who compete in open water swimming competitions, as well as surf lifesaving.

“To be successful within the Brisbane Premiership and to be promoted within Brisbane Premiership, you need to be ticking all of the boxes across the board,” he says.

Mackenzie says the club’s success is also the result of connecting with families and members, sharing the journey with them.

“I think sometimes you can get lucky and you can have really good swimmers and you can get points from having really good swimmers. One thing we’ve also tried to do is bring our members on that journey of … if we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it to the best of our ability,” he explains.

“Our members have not only heard that … they’ve bought into it. Their participation and attendance at these meets, throughout the year, and their child’s attendance and participation at training and at these carnivals is the reason for our success.

“It really does come down to the members. It’s all for them.”

Eyes on the future

TLC Swim Club’s Lachlan Farlow attended an invitation-only future paralympic training clinic at the Sunshine Coast in late June, after winning two Swimming Brisbane awards for the 2024/25 season.

He was awarded Para Swimmer of the Season and Para Swimmer of the Meet.

As a 12-year-old, Lachlan qualified for the 2024 Australian Multiclass Age Championships 12-13 years category and made finals, competing against 13-year-olds.

This year, he earned a silver medal and three bronze medals at the Australian Multiclass Age Championships.

“His development, in the last 12 months he’s been with us, has been a real refinement of his ability to perform on race day and a refinement of his ability to showcase his full potential,” Mackenzie explains.

“He was able to not only swim personal best times in national finals, but he was able to get medals in national finals.”

Mackenzie says Lachlan’s coach Rachael Miller has been working with him on dealing with the pressure of big meets.

He is not a specialist in a particular stroke, placing second at the nationals in the 200m Individual Medley and breaking seven Queensland swimming records throughout the 2024/25 season.

“He’s now been recognised as part of the future (of para swimming). I think he’s got his eyes on Brisbane 2032 (Olympic Games) and, without speaking for Lachlan, I think that’s the dream,” Mackenzie says.

Building on success

TLC Swim Club will continue to build on the foundation laid during their past three seasons, engaging with the community to offer the best possible aquatic precinct, coaching services and member/family experience.

The club recently hosted their first meet, with more than 200 swimmers from 40 different clubs attending, and will host another in October.

The Learn to Swim School is now eight months old and more swim coaches are coming on board.

In the next six months, a gymnasium will be added to the college’s multipurpose hall and an additional car park for aquatic precinct members, adding to the aquatic precinct offering.

“We’re now in Division 1 and want to continue to represent the club really well in the Brisbane Premiership. We want to continue to attend all meets throughout the year at a Queensland and National level,” Mackenzie says.

“But we’re not losing sight of the future. The Brisbane 2032 Olympics is only seven years away now and a lot of our athletes are part of that future. They’ve got dreams of going to the Olympics.”

He says the club wants to connect with each swimmer to identify their goals and help them attain those ambitions.

To find out more about joining TLC Swim Club, visit the website.