Lisa Trendle from Manly West has lived with multiple sclerosis for 24 years, but the 60-year-old swimmer continues proving the condition doesn’t control her life through competitive swimming and record-breaking achievements.
The Brisbane Southside Masters swimmer swims under S9 classification due to MS, a disease affecting the brain and spinal cord that can cause permanent nerve damage. Lisa Trendle has transformed her diagnosis into motivation, building a remarkable competitive record that includes nine gold medals from the 2024 Masters Short Course State Titles and 67 broken records.
In October 2025, she reached an extraordinary milestone, swimming one million metres in a year while maintaining a full training regime and working full-time.
Living With MS for Over Two Decades
Lisa Trendle was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nearly 24 years ago, joining Masters swimming in 2005 with Brisbane Southside Masters after starting with River City Masters in 2003. MS affects her swimming through fatigue, slight paralysis on one side and lack of sensation in parts of her body.
Despite these challenges, she can still kick thanks to muscle memory. Swimming provides normality in her life and allows participation in activities others can enjoy without the limitations MS might impose. She refused to be left behind because of her condition.
The disease attacks the protective sheath covering nerve fibres, eventually causing permanent damage. Symptoms vary widely between patients depending on where nerve damage occurs. Some people lose the ability to walk, while others experience long remission periods. There’s no cure, though treatments help manage symptoms and slow progression.
Lisa Trendle took up swimming specifically to prove she could still swim with MS and that MS did not control her. Over 32 years with the condition, she has become a positive MS ambassador, encouraging others with disabilities to get classified and compete.
Training Routine That Starts at 3:30am
Lisa Trendle’s routine at Sleeman Sports Complex in Chandler demonstrates remarkable dedication. She wakes at 3.30am, feeds her two rescue cats, and heads out the door by 4am for training sessions that average 27 to 28 kilometres of swimming weekly.
Her schedule includes gym work five days weekly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, plus yoga on Sunday afternoons. She maintains a mostly plant-based diet with no junk food, alcohol or smoking. The regimen also incorporates neuro physio, exercise physiology and walking.
Even a recent skin cancer removal procedure didn’t slow her down. Lisa Trendle continued swimming without time off, simply using waterproof dressings to protect the surgical site. Her medical and support team enable the consistency that builds competitive success.
The million-metre achievement in October 2025 required averaging over 2,700 metres daily for an entire year while balancing all other training components and work commitments. This isn’t recreational swimming but dedicated athletic performance.
Competitive Success and Record Breaking
Lisa Trendle competes regularly in Queensland State Swimming Championships, where she has won six gold medals over her career. Her nine golds from the 2024 Masters Short Course State Titles added to an already impressive medal collection.
The 67 records she has broken span multiple events and age groups within multi-class swimming. She also participated in a world record relay team, swimming alongside teammates in an officially recognised performance.
Masters Swimming Queensland recognised her achievements with a World MS Day Award, acknowledging both her competitive success and her role encouraging others with MS to pursue swimming. She is described as a trailblazer for her club and for other athletes with disabilities.
Lisa Trendle credits Masters Swimming Queensland with taking her swimming dreams across Queensland and South Australia. The organisation’s support structure allows classified swimmers to compete at various levels, creating pathways from local competitions through to national events.
Goals and Resilience Through Setbacks
Lisa Trendle shares her approach to goal setting through the SMART framework: Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Target. She emphasises working backwards from goals, creating step-by-step plans, and adjusting when external factors interfere.
Her philosophy acknowledges that MS can flare up, rest might be inadequate, or goals might be set too ambitiously. She encourages giving yourself credit for stepping outside comfort zones even when falling short of targets initially.
The loss of her mother in 2014, her biggest supporter, hit particularly hard. But Lisa Trendle says that pain strengthened her resolve rather than diminishing it. She believes self-belief is a gift people give themselves, describing herself and others with MS as “BUF” (Beautiful, Unstoppable, Fearless).
What This Means for Manly West
For Manly West residents, Lisa Trendle demonstrates how chronic illness doesn’t preclude athletic achievement. Her 3.30am wake-ups and rigorous training happen in the same suburb where neighbours pursue their own goals.
The million-metre achievement and competitive success show what sustained commitment produces. Lisa Trendle built capabilities through consistent training since 2003, adapting to MS limitations while refusing to accept them as absolute barriers.
PACE at Sleeman Sports Complex praised her determination and resilience. Supporters note she serves as inspiration for others living with MS, proving adaptive pathways exist for demanding physical activities.
Published 29-January-2026.
