During her early years of swimming, Abbey wasn’t sure if it was the right sport for her and left to try out netball.

She discovered that swimming was the best fit for her and returned to training.

She pushed herself harder and in 2021 broke the 200m age record.

Beginnings

Abbey Lee Connor, born in April 2005, began swimming at a young age. At just 15 years old, she broke Michelle Ford's 200m butterfly record, a record that had stood for over 40 years. Abbey trained under coach Alex Clarke at Revesby/Roselands Aquatic Centres and was part of the Harlee Elite Squad in Bankstown. She joined the Australian Dolphins Swim Team and trained with the NSW Institute of Sport squad.

Achievements

In 2021, Abbey broke the 200m butterfly age record. She was selected to compete in the World Junior Open Water Championships in the Seychelles and participated in the 2022 World Championships in Hungary, competing in both freestyle and butterfly events. At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, she set a personal best time of 2:08.36 in the 200m butterfly. In 2023, Abbey made the final of the World Championships held in Japan. During the 2024 Australian Championships, she placed third in the 200m butterfly and was a finalist in the 400m freestyle. Abbey finished second in the 200m butterfly at the Australian Trials in Brisbane with a personal best time of 2:06.82. In 2024, Abbey was selected to represent Australia at the Paris Olympics. She competed in the women's 200m butterfly and finished seventh in the finals, marking her first Olympic appearance at the age of 19.

Post Representation

Abbey is currently still representing Australia and competing.