Narrabri Stingray stars at Swimming New England and North West’s two-day event in Muswellbrook

Eleven-year-old Narrabri Stingray Charlie-Lea Hulbert impressed in the pool again across the weekend as she returned home from Swimming New England and North West’s 2025/26 season Long Course Area Championships and Speedo Sprints combined carnival at the Muswellbrook Aquatic Centre with five medals.

In her third season as a competitive swimmer, Charlie-Lea continues to go from strength to strength, and her efforts across the weekend solidified her status as one of the best young swimmers in the region.

The Narrabri Stingray lined up in three races on Saturday and then three more on Sunday, with her first event of the weekend seeing her finish fifth in the 11-years 50-metre breaststroke, missing out on a podium finish by less than three seconds.

She backed that up with a remarkable effort in the 100-metre breaststroke as she earned a 5.25-second personal best time and claimed the silver medal with a second-place finish. She ended that event less than four seconds behind the gold medal winner, Tamworth’s Piper Kelly.

Charlie-Lea’s last event of the day on Saturday was the 50-metre freestyle, in which she placed third to earn her second medal of the weekend and her first Speedo Sprints Finals qualifying time, and she then backed that up with a silver medal and a PB in the 100-metre freestyle first up on Sunday morning.

The Narrabri girl ended her weekend with the 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke events, both of which she won to earn two gold medals and another Speedo Sprint Finals qualifying time.

Those six results saw Charlie-Lea continue a super season that has also seen her register four qualifying times for the 2025/26 NSW Country Championships as well as two qualifying times for the 2025/26 NSW Youth Stage Age Long Course Championships.

Charlie-Lea’s coach is local swimming coach Anne Bennett, who told The Courier that her success was a result of her hard work and dedication to training.

“Those results come from hard work because she is determined and works hard and never misses a training session,” Bennett said.

“She is so focused on what she wants.

“I wasn’t surprised at all. I expected those results because of how hard she works.

“All of those qualifying times just shows how determined she is and how hard she works.

“She is doing really well, and I’m really proud of her.”

Charlie-Lea said that she enjoyed representing her town and her club at out-of-town events and hopes that more young people in town will take up swimming and join the Stingrays club in the coming seasons.

The Stingrays will host their 2025/26 season Club Championships carnival at the Narrabri Autistic Centre this Saturday, at which 16 local swimmers are expected to compete.