Borders swimming ace Lili Mundell set to represent GB at her biggest competition yet
As one of only two Scottish swimmers selected in Great Britain’s team for this month’s European Youth Olympics in North Macedonia – a multi-sport event for youngsters from 50 countries aged 16 and under - Borders teenager Lili Mundell is full of excitement ahead of turning out at her biggest competition so far.
Clovenfords lass Lili, 15, is flying out next Thursday, July 17 ahead of the five-day showpiece starting four days later and she will be contesting swimming’s 50m and 100m freestyle events plus relays.
The Heart of Midlothian Amateur Swimming Club star, who first started swimming aged four and at the age of eight started her career with Galashiels ASC, told the Southern Reporter: “Getting a medal out there is probably unlikely and I would consider qualifying for a final to be a good result.”
Lili, a pupil at The Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh who is coached in the national squad by Pole Michal Adamac, earned her selection after an excellent Scottish National Age Groups Swimming Championships in Aberdeen in April, where she claimed eight gold and two silver medals.
"Those were probably the best results I’ve had so far,” she added. “I had loads of training beforehand and I knew I was physically ready for it.”
Scottish National Junior Team member Lili also won 12 gold medals at the 2024-’25 East District/Scottish Borders in the 15 years section, going undefeated in every event entered.
Last year’s British age-group Championships 14 years 100m freestyle gold medallist competed for a Scotland Junior team at an international competition in Geneva in January.
She will be cheered on at her latest foreign outing in Skopje by her parents Kirsty and Doug, plus sisters Ella and Alex and Alex’s boyfriend Alexander.
Mum Kirsty said: “We're heading out to watch her because we are thinking that she might never do this again. We need to cheer her on while the going's good. So the family are heading out on the 20th.
"The opening ceremony is actually the 20th, but it's a closed ceremony just for the athletes and the staff involved.
"So Lily competes on the 21st and 100 metre free, and then she's got relays in between and then 50 free on the Friday. So we're going to watch her all week.
"We're very excited, probably shocked that she's been chosen, but absolutely thrilled that she's managed to get there.
"And, of course, selection was based on swimmers’ best times. So this year, we kind of thought that Lili might have blown it.
"She missed a time by 0.02 of a second at the Edinburgh International, which the British selectors kind of take the times from.
"So we thought that maybe she was out of the consideration. But she had such a good week at SNAGS the following week that she got all the times that she needed. And I believe there were selectors up there having a look at a few of the kids.
"So they obviously realised that Lili had the potential to go.
"Lili, at the minute, is sitting first in the Great British Rankings age group in the 50 metres and 100 metres, so they've obviously gone on those times as well.”