Laura Quilter qualified for the first World Aquatics Championships of her career as a 32-year-old, having achieved the qualification time for the 50m butterfly at the 2025 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships.

Quilter started her swimming journey in her hometown of Gisborne, learning to swim at Comet Swim Club. Both her learn to swim teacher and first swim coach, Pat and Greg respectively, have played an important role in her development. Pat helped Quilter develop her freestyle technique and Greg helped her foster self-belief. Quilter remains in touch with them both to this day.

Quilter won her first age title as a 14-year-old in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle. 

Quilter became an Aquablack when she qualified for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she reached her first international semi-final in the 50m butterfly and was a member of the 4 x 100m freestyle relay that came fourth in the final. That same year, she represented New Zealand at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

Quilter retired from the sport in 2016, but continued to swim for enjoyment and health, later sharing her love for swimming and technique on her Aura Move Instagram account. She loves the feeling of weightlessness and quiet when in the water. She finds it like an active meditation, and enjoys all parts of learning how to swim faster.

She returned to competition at the 2023 NZ Masters Swimming Championships, where she got the bug for racing again. Before long, she was racing at the 2024 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships and medalled in all her events. The following year, Quilter qualified for her second Aquablack team eleven years after her debut by achieving the first A standard qualifying time of her career.

Alongside swimming, Quilter has represented New Zealand as a Black Fin at the Lifesaving World Championships. She is also a current World Record holder in Ice Swimming and Masters Swimming for the 30 – 34 years age group events.

Outside of the pool, Quilter is a registered nurse and manages shift work with her training. She loves to go hiking the Great Walks of New Zealand in her down time and is recently engaged.

Favourite Quote: “The water doesn’t know how old you are” – Dara Torres