Cook Islands golden girl swimmer Lanihei Connolly is part of a group of swimmers who have been accepted at the Bull Sharks as the first cohort of the World Aquatics Training Centre established at Bond University in Australia.

The 17-year-old had heads turning at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands after winning two medals (gold and silver) for her performance in the 50metres and 100metres breaststroke.

Connolly is one of the five swimmers who swim different strokes and are dreaming to compete at the Paris Olympics next year.

 “The squad has been so welcoming and the standard is so awesome, I hope by training with such great people to be able to elevate my swimming.’’

While her four other colleagues will spend a year living in the Bond University Sports House and training under Olympic coach Chris Mooney, Connolly is said to be the baby of the group who will be studying there a bit longer.

She has enrolled to study a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Bond.

According to a release from Bond University, Connolly might just adapt to life in Australia the quickest having grown up in New Zealand.

Connolly had said they did not have a pool in Cook Islands so while most of them swam elsewhere she did most of her training in New Zealand.

She added: “I used to be in New Zealand programs but I really wanted to represent my mother’s side of the family and swim for the Cook Islands.’’

Meanwhile, Connolly had earlier said she has her sights on representing the Cook Islands at the next Olympic Games after her wins from the Pacific Games.