McKeown joins team veteran Emily Seebohm in the backstroke events at the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships next month in Tokyo. 

"It is pretty exciting, I've got a great team I'm with so hopefully it keeps getting better from here," she said.

After making her debut for the Australian Dolphins at just 15-years-of-age at 2017 FINA World Championship team, she now has her eyes firmly set on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

 

Finally arrived in Budapest ⭐️

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"Me and my coach Chris Mooney always say these are stepping stones towards Tokyo 2020 so hopefully ticking off all these boxes is the best preparation I can get leading into Tokyo," McKeown said.

She kicked off 2018 competing at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and just missed out on a podium spot, finishing fourth in the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke. 

McKeown, whose older sister Taylor won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, only took up swimming in 2015 but it didn't take her long to be noticed as an up and coming star breaking both the 100 and 200 backstroke Australian Age Group Records.

As she heads off to Tokyo for the Pan Pacs, her next big competition will be the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires later this year.