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Holly Barratt, a Science student here at UWA, has been named the Australian University Sport (AUS) 2015 Female Athlete of the Year, one of the highest Australian university sporting honours.

The 27-year-old was honoured with the AUS award for her achievements in swimming this year. She said that although her swimming has really improved over the last few years the award was still a complete surprise.

“I feel honoured and excited that my achievements have been recognised,” she said.

The achievement finishes a strong year for Holly who also received the UWA Sports Star of the Year, and Rockingham Sports Star of the Year honours.

Holly was one of 10 UWA students selected to represent Australia in the Uniroos team at the Summer Universiade (World University Games) in Korea in July.

“Competing in Korea was the best week I have had in my career and an amazing experience,” she said. Holly won gold in the 50m backstroke, and bronze in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle events which proved her to be Australia’s most successful athlete at the games.

When competing in a race, Holly isn’t thinking about winning. “We have a saying, ‘Think about the process, not the outcome.’ In a race, I’m thinking about getting off the block as fast as I can, getting in the water the right way, getting my breathing right and all the things I need to do to be the fastest I can be,” she said.

Holly will be graduating from UWA next September with a Bachelor of Science and a major in physiology. Right now, she’s enjoying taking a break from study to focus on training. As an elite athlete, Holly trains at least nine times a week and can spend between three and four hours a day in the pool.

With her eyes firmly set on achieving a place in the Australian Olympic swimming team for Rio 2016, Holly has stepped up her training and hopes to beat more personal bests at upcoming summer swim meets including the Australia Short Courts Swimming Champions in Sydney.

“Next year is the selection for the Olympics. I am training to be the best swimmer I can be and if I was selected that would be a dream come true.”