Swimmer Ellie McCartney targets Olympics after Commonwealth gold

Ellie McCartney has Olympic-sized dreams after her success at this year's Commonwealth Youth Games

Ellie McCartney moved out of her family home in County Fermanagh aged 16 in order to turn her hobby of swimming into something bigger.

Over the last two years she has had to find a balance between training in the pool and studying for her A-Levels.

This summer, she won two gold medals and a bronze at the Commonwealth Youth Games while also achieving two A* and an A in her exams.

"I think it worked out OK," she says modestly.

Her success in the pool follows her decision to move from Enniskillen to Bangor, in County Down, to join the National Performance Centre.

"You definitely have to find a good balance being a student athlete," she says.

"You don't have much time to go out and party like your classmates will do so you have to find that work-life balance and I think I managed to find that balance pretty well.

"I had training starting at half five in the morning and then going to school and then coming out and training for another two hours, so I think it totalled about 20 hours a week in the pool and I had three gym sessions on top of that.

"So it's definitely hard to get used to."

'Over the moon'

Ellie says representing Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Youth Games was "very special".

"It's an honour and for swimmers such an exciting opportunity because in swimming I represent Ireland so the Commonwealth Games is the only chance I get to represent Northern Ireland as a region so it's very special for Northern Irish athletes.

"I was over the moon to come away with so many medals. Definitely if you told me that a couple of months ago I wouldn't have believed you.

"It was lovely to stand on the top of the podium and hear Oh Danny Boy' as the national anthem."

The high-achieving pupil won two gold medals and a bronze

Ellie learnt to swim at a young age on a family holiday and she was given the nickname Bob because she could bob up and down in the water for hours.

She joined the Enniskillen Lakeland Swimming Club when she was six and took part in many events and competitions.

It was during lockdown she and her family made the decision that has led to her medal-winning performances.

"I started off my swimming journey in Enniskillen, and then over lockdown we had a bit of time to think: 'Where did I want to go with this? Was it a hobby or was it something I could turn into a bit more?'

"So we decided during lockdown that I would move to the National Performance Centre in Bangor and then that would mean I'd have to move school and live away from my parents.

"I just always thought to myself I never took this opportunity I'd always regret and think about what would I have missed out on so I'm definitely thankful that I chose the right decision at the time."

Ellie is now balancing training with the start of university life and has her sights set on taking part in next year's Olympic trials.

"It's getting harder and harder to make those Olympic teams, but hopefully if I keep staying the way I'm going it could be a possibility but definitely a lot more work to [make it] happen."