Seventeen-year-old Kahlia Marsh from Kerang won the Bruce Carter Perpetual Trophy for Most Outstanding Swimmer of the meet at the 2012 Victorian Country Championship in Bendigo.

The title considered all of the 650 country swimmers who competed at the Bendigo Aquatic Centre from the 21-23 of January including female and male competitors across all age groups.

Kahlia was awarded 10 medals including three gold medals, four silver medals and three bronze metals. She also placed as a finalist in three events.

Kahlia had 14 individual events over the weekend and participated in 30 swims overall.

She won the title three years ago, and has attended the competition eight times.

Her mother Tamra Marsh said she is one of few people to win the title twice.

However, Kahlia has yet to receive her trophy after scores were accidentally miscounted.

“It wasn’t intentional, all of the officials were hot in the heat,” Mrs Marsh said.

Mrs Marsh said Kahlia wore a pink cap over the weekend for cancer awareness.

She is also currently sporting a streak of pink colour through her hair.

Mrs Marsh said Kahlia’s swimming career has been touched by many people with cancer.

Kahlia’s first coach’s husband died of prostate cancer a few years ago, her assistant coach is in hospice battling cancer at the moment, her coach last season contracted prostate cancer before retiring, and last week a family member was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Although she attends high school in Geelong to work with her coach before the Olympic trials next March, Kahlia is based in Kerang and has been working at the Kerang Pool over the summer holidays as a swimming coach.

Kahlia said she plans on taking a gap year to focus on her swimming and assistant coaching and will later consider becoming a professional swimming coach.