Tem Strickland started swimming competitively at primary school.

'My dad made a deal with me,” says the 16-year-old Tauranga swimmer. 'He said if I do well in school, he will pay for me to do swimming lessons. It was just his way of getting me to do well and get high marks.

Tem Strickland. Photo: Cameron Avery.

'He knew that I loved swimming, but I just never knew the proper techniques. I started getting better and better and then I started to take it seriously.”

Now the talented teenager is travelling to Thailand after being selected to participate in the FINA Swimming Scholarship Programme for 2016.

The FINA programme provides a limited number of athletes the opportunity to train and prepare to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, while also preparing for the 13th FINASwimming World Championships.

Tem has been to China before for three weeks, but never Thailand – and not for months.

'I'm excited but also sad because I'll be leaving all my friends behind,” admits the teen. 'I'm trying to spend heaps of time with then before I leave.” But he'll make some friends in Thailand for sure.

Tem will be training at Phuket International Academy, Thanyapura, in Thailand for a minimum of three months. 'But if I do well while I'm over there, they'll keep me for an extra five months. So I could be there for eight.”

Tem feels ready for the challenge ahead. 'I reckon I could get it [the Olympic qualification]. 'With the right training and the right facilities, I reckon I could.”

The teen trains with Otumoetai Swimming Club and has been coached by Stefan Swanepoel. 'His brother was an Olympic swimmer,” says Tem. Then there's coach Mike Lee. 'He's coached a lot of New Zealand swimmers.”

So they must see something in Tem. The teen laughs and goes shy. 'Not Olympic standard, but yeah.”

He's being modest. Tem trains as many as eight two-hour sessions a week. His favourite style is backstroke. 'I'm not sure if it's just because I'm a lazy swimmer now. Or I just find it easy because I find that technique easy. Everything else I can swim, but I just haven't nailed the technique.”

He's hoping to secure that in Thailand. 'I want to be an all-round swimmer, instead of just [good at] backstroke,” says Tem.

So has dad's bet worked? 'Yeah,” Tem says with a laugh.He's achieved excellences mostly in sports, mathematics and physics.

While in Thailand, Tem will be finishing school via correspondence while training for the Olympic qualification.

'It'll be alright, time management will be easy because you get six hours every day free time but it'll just be getting the motivation to do it.”

We have a feeling Tem will do it, or dad may have to put on another bet.