Sasha Corris

Tell us about your earliest swimming memory?

I remember diving off the Kings Park's blocks repeatedly, jumping in and out of the pool because I loved it so much when I was four years old.

Why is swimming such a special sport?

My mum ensured I was water safe by the time I was 18 months. I am told that I fell in love with water during my first session. I don’t remember a day going by without a swim (bar Sundays because, well, recovery is key). Whilst growing up, I partook in every sport possible, but when I reached high school, I had to make a decision, and as swimming had always been my love and passion, it was an easy choice.

Which of your achievements are you the proudest of and why?

2017 SA Open Water Nationals. It was my first 10km National Title that qualified me for my first Swimming World Champs and World Student Games.  Before that, I had only ever made Junior World Swimming teams and Senior Lifesaving teams. The greatest memory of this race was how comfortable I felt in the water. It felt as though the waters were parting for me.

In the surf, my most memorable swim was winning the Open Surf Swim at the Sanyo Bussan Cup 2019 in Tokyo.

How do you stay motivated throughout the season?

My goals, visions, and passion drive me to keep going, even when it gets tough – emotionally, mentally and physically. My mum is also a true pillar of strength, motivation and encouragement. When my motivation is lacking due to external challenges or internal pressures, I can always count on her to give me the pep talk I need before a session or race.

What are your goals for the year ahead?

My top goal is to qualify for the World Champs Lifesaving Team, which will be heading to Italy later this year. After having a problem with my heart and only having the ability to train for the last five weeks, it has limited my usual goals, which I have had, but World Champs is still very much a possibility and dream at this point. Ultimately, I swim because I enjoy it and love the sport – so my all-time focus and centre of the sport are always to have fun.

What do you do to prepare for a race?

A new thing I started this year is ensuring I have enough wine gums in stock and on hand in my Speedo bag! Besides that, I’m pretty particular before I race and like things as close to perfect as possible, so I’m very much a planner. Plan the exact time I’ll eat, stretch, jump in the pool, suit up, have coffee, pack my bag and what to pack. When to go to bed. It’ll all be planned in my head. I like having that element of control because sometimes, during a race, you can’t always have that, especially in Open Water racing and Lifesaving, where there are so many factors; it isn’t like pool swimming.

Apart from swimming, what do you do for fun?

Photography, the bush, surf lifesaving and aesthetically pleasing cafes! I often find myself wandering into new little coffee shops that will look good on the IG story, haha!

Why are you excited to be a part of the Speedo family?

I have been wearing Speedo for as long as I can remember. When I first started racing at age 5, standing behind the starting block, I would pull funny faces as I put my Speedo goggles over my head. Nineteen years down the line, I’m still doing the same thing – the only difference is that I’ve upgraded to mirrored goggles! For nine years, Speedo has been backing me, and I can’t imagine training and racing in comfier cossies and suits.