Chasing Water, Chasing Dreams: Concordia’s Rising Swim Star Hits the Nationals
It begins not with medals or podiums, but with a feeling. “The water is relaxing to me, it feels like second nature,” Concordia Lutheran College swimmer Parun Benham says. That feeling has carried him a long way. From the first pool swim in Thailand to the 2026 Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast, Parun’s rise in the pool has been swift and striking, unfolding in just two years of competitive swimming.
“I came over from Thailand about 11 years ago,” he says. “When I was adopted, my parents took me to the pool in Thailand and I really enjoyed it. Ever since then, I’ve had a passion for swimming.”
That passion remained in the background until it found direction at Concordia Lutheran College, where Parun joined the TJ Swim School and later the Concordia Turbo Jets Swim Club.
“I started swimming lessons and coach Troy saw the potential I had and encouraged me to enter competitions,” he says.
It was a moment that changed everything.
“When I started to progress, I really thought I had a shot because in the first couple of months, I was winning.”
Since then, his development has been rapid. Parun now trains five days a week, building both endurance and race sharpness. Yet for him, the commitment is driven by more than routine.
“I love the feel of swimming,” he says. “When I’m swimming in a race, I think about trying to go faster. You aren’t aware of who is around you, so you have to think you are the only person in the race and you just swim as fast as you can.”
That focus will be crucial as he competes in the Under 14s category, lining up in the 50 metre breaststroke and 50 metre butterfly.
“My highlight so far has been making it to nationals,” Parun says. “I really hope to get PBs and be on the podium.”
Parun is already looking ahead. “I want to make it to the Olympics, that’s my dream,” he says. “First though, world championships or the Commonwealth Games.”
His goals are ambitious but grounded in a work ethic and supported by his devoted parents, who encourage him to reach for the top of the podium.
“I just swim as fast as I can,” he says.
From a child discovering the water in Thailand to a Concordia student preparing to race on the national stage, Parun’s story is still unfolding. This weekend is another step, not a finish line.
