NIAMH Robinson admitted she will have to get the atlas out to find exactly where Samoa is after booking her place at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games.

The 15-year-old from Darwen will compete for the Isle of Man and will make the long trip to the small island in the South Pacific Ocean in September.

“I’m not too sure where Samoa is but I think it could be somewhere near Australia,” said Niamh, a pupil at Canon Slade School in Bolton.

“But I will be checking the atlas to find out just where it is.”

Actually, the island is 3,500 miles from the coast of Australia but whose clocking miles as Niamh is more interested in plotting her route to swimming glory.

The talented teenager, who is a member of the Accrington-based Pioneer 79 Swimming Club will compete in seven events at the prestigious championship - and she could have even taken part in 12 following a fantastic year of qualifying.

And she will be looking to use her experience of taking part in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year and she prepares for her biggest international test so far.

“Competing in Glasgow last year was a great experience for me ,” she adde. “Because I was so young not much was expected of me so I could go there and just get used to competing at that level.

“The Commonwealth Youth Games will be different because I will be competing against swimmers of a similar age to me so my aim is to try and get to as many finals as possible and take it from there.”

Robinson in one of six athletes from four sports who will represent the Isle of Man.

The swimming contingent includes Robinson, Brody Hewison and Alex Bregazzi. along with athletes Catherine Reid and Josh Hewitt, boxerMatthew Rennie and archer Charlotte Harris.

Robinson, who has an astonished 20 Isle of Man records to her name, found out by phone last week that she had been selected for the team - however she had also been long-listed for the England team.

“Because I had done so well in qualifying, I had a fair idea that I might be selected but there was always that nagging doubt that they might not select me,” said Niamh.

“So to get that phone call was brilliant. I am so happy to be going.”

It will be a new challenge for Robinson whose only international experience so far was competing in a Four Nations event in Italy last month.

But she has taken everything in her stride and travelling to the other side of the world is just he next challenge.

“There will be some swimmers that I know, for example all the English girls, but it will be something of an unknown quantity competing against swimmers from some of the other countries,” said the swimming all-rounder.

“But I am really looking forward to it.”

Over the last 12 months, Robinson achieved the IOM Commonwealth Games Association’s consideration times in no fewer than 12 events.

But she has opted to compete in seven - the 50, 100, 200m breaststroke, 50m backstroke, 50 and 100m butterfly and 200m Individual Medley.

The event - the 5th Commonwealth Youth Games - will take place in Apia, Samoa from September 5-11 and other sports include archery, athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rugby sevens, squash, tennis and weightlifting. It is anticipated that up to 1,000 competitors aged between 14-18 years old will be competing for 107 medals over the five days and competitors are invited from every Commonwealth Games Association. Niamh said her success to date would not be achieved without her continuous hard work and commitment in the pool, however she would also like to thank personally: Mike Wilson, head coach of Pioneer 79 Swimming Club, IOM Swimming Club, IOMCGA, TP Properties and Grace Cole Ltd for their continued support and assistance.