Titmus scholarship winner's 'best feeling ever' after pre-race accident

Updated 3 days ago by Ryan Bentley

The latest Ariarne Titmus Swimming Scholarship recipient still has the scars, and the gold medal, to show from her greatest triumph in 2025.

South Esk Swimming Club's Sage Bassano was awarded the scholarship by the City of Launceston Council as recognition of her "commitment, coachability, resilience and strong club spirit".

And Sage had to show quite a bit of resilience to get in the pool for a relay final at the School Sport Australia nationals in Brisbane.

"When I won the gold, about an hour before that, I fell down the stairs of the big Olympic grandstand, all the way from the top to the very bottom," Sage said.

"I then got in the pool half-an-hour later, it stung really badly, the chlorine getting in [the injury], and then I had to race, and we won, so it was just the best feeling ever.

"I forgot about the pain when it was stinging in the water, I just went for it and it was so rewarding to look behind me at the board and there it was [the win]."

Despite the nationals happening in July, you can still see the scar on Sage's shin from her tumble.

The Launceston Grammar student was the anchor of the Tasmanian relay team of six in the 300-metre freestyle event and was competing against some 19-year-olds.

Sage said she "didn't have words" for the honour of winning a scholarship named in recognition of Launceston's greatest ever Olympian, Ariarne Titmus.

But it is part of what has made all the early morning training worth it.

"You've just got to remember the results and you always get stuff out of it," she said.

"It's all enjoyable, and if you always try your best, you always get the best out of every experience - it's definitely all worth it."

As well as winning gold at nationals, she is the state champion in her age group for 400m freestyle and is a part of the junior state development squad.

One of her coaches at South Esk Swimming Club, Morgen Avent, could not fault Sage's work ethic and her attitude towards training.

"She's always rocking up at training with a smile, training hard, we tell her to do something, she does it and she's just a very hard worker," Avent said.

"She's just a very intelligent kid, too, you can tell her mind works in training and everything you say or do, she's like 'I'm going to do that straight away'.

"You've got to grind, you've got to work, and the hard work does pay off."

To win the scholarship, Sage and others had to write an application before being short-listed for an interview process.

The scholarship covers one year of Sage's swim club registration fees and full membership at the City of Launceston Leisure and Aquatic Centre.