While many teenagers are balancing school and sport, 16-year-old Gemma Sellick has been chasing fractions of a second in the pool at Warringah Aquatic Swim Club in Frenchs Forest. Now her results have earned her one of Australia’s biggest honours: a Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow.
Sellick, one of the youngest swimmers selected in Australia’s team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, will represent the green and gold in Para swimming. She has been named to compete in the women’s 100m Backstroke S9 and 100m Breaststroke SB8.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will run from Thursday, July 23, to Sunday, August 2, with athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories competing across a streamlined program of 10 sports.
Strong results put a local swimmer on the national stage
Sellick’s selection follows several years of steady progress in national multi-class competition while training with Warringah Aquatic Swim Club.
Swimming Australia has identified her as one of the country’s emerging Para swimmers after a series of strong performances. At last year’s Australian Multi-Class Age Championships in Brisbane, she claimed two gold and three silver medals before swimming under the Glasgow qualifying times at the 2026 World Para Series on the Gold Coast.
Those performances secured her place in an Australian squad that combines experienced international athletes with a group of young debutants preparing for their first Commonwealth Games.
The club congratulated the teenager after the Australian team was announced, celebrating her achievement after years of training and competition. Her selection also gives younger swimmers at the club a local example of the pathway from community swimming to the national team.
Ready for her first Games
Glasgow will mark Sellick’s Commonwealth Games debut and her biggest international opportunity to date.
She will line up against Para swimmers from across the Commonwealth in two events, gaining valuable experience at one of the world’s largest multi-sport competitions.
Her selection reflects consistent performances over time and confirms her place among Australia’s rising Para swimming talent. It also highlights the strength of the development pathway available through clubs such as Warringah Aquatic.
The Northern Beaches community will have a special reason to follow Australia’s campaign. A teenager whose journey has unfolded in the local pool will soon wear the green and gold on the international stage, carrying with her the support of the club that has backed her every step of the way.
Published 10-July-2026
