In addition to a gruelling seven-day training schedule ahead of representing Queensland at the 2025 School Sport Australia Swimming Championships next month, Cooktown’s Maiika Hegamaea will be hosting a car wash on 13 September to help fundraise for her trip. Photo: Supplied.
A bucket and a sponge are not the most conventional training tools for a swimmer preparing to represent their state on the national stage, but one Cooktown athlete is hoping they – along with a bit of elbow grease – will help fund her dream in the pool.
Ten-year-old Maiika Hegamaea has been selected to represent Queensland in the 200 metre individual medley at the 2025 School Sport Australia Swimming Championships in Ballarat from 25-29 October.
But before she heads south chasing national swimming glory, Hegamaea will hold a car wash at Cooktown Hardware on 13 September to help cover the cost of travelling more than 3,000 kilometres for representative honours.
The soapy fundraiser will be held from 8:30am-12:30pm next Saturday, with sedans and hatchbacks $15, and larger cars and four-wheel drives $20.
The young swimming star said she was thrilled to have been selected to don maroon at the championships, adding she was hoping a few unconventional vehicles made their way to the car wash.
“I’d love to wash a truck again,” she said after her and her fellow Cooktown Amateur Swimming Club (CASA) members tackled a prime mover at their last car wash fundraiser.
“I’m very excited because this will be my first time swimming at a national event; I have never been to Victoria, and I have never been outside of Queensland; I would love to visit Melbourne Zoo when I’m down there.”
“I am also excited because it is an Olympic-size pool.”
CASA president Melissa Gunton said Hegamaea had received strong support from Cooktown businesses and clubs to help her realise her representative potential.
“Luckily for Maiika, she has the backing of the community,” she said.
“Some businesses have donated prizes for a raffle, and the Lions Club and RSL have given her donations to help get her there.”
In addition to wielding the sponge and bucket in preparation for the national showdown, Hegamaea has also increased her time in the pool from two to seven sessions per week, swimming at least 100 laps (2.5km) each session.
“She can swim anywhere from 2.5- 3.7km in the hour session, and is averaging 17.5km per week,” Ms Gunton said.
