Milana Tapper had a breakout 2024 and carried that form into the following year, claiming her maiden national open title in the 100m freestyle at the 2025 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships. Days later in the 200m freestyle, Tapper produced a personal best performance to achieve her first A qualifying standard and get selected for her first Aquablack team.

She learnt to swim at Matamata, before progressing to the Matamata Swimming Club where her first coach was Graeme Laing. She transferred to St Peter’s Swimming Club, Cambridge, in 2015 where she also went to school.

Tapper’s early swimming days included racing at the 2019 Division II Swimming Competition where she placed 100th in an event, before developing into national champion in 2025. 

She won her first national short course age title in 2022, before delivering a strong performance at the 2024 Apollo Projects NZ Age Group Swimming Championships to claim her first long course national age title. From this swim she earned selection on her first NZ team at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Canberra, where she was a finalist. Later in the year, Tapper was selected for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, however was forced to withdraw due to injury. 

Tapper became a Junior World Champion at the 2024 Lifesaving World Championships in Australia.

After finishing her high school studies, she moved to the Gold Coast where she is coached by Australian Dolphin Thomas Fraser-Holmes at Griffith University. Her results continued to improve, and she qualified for her first Aquablack team in the 200m freestyle joining Erika Fairweather as the second qualifier for the event in Singapore.

Tapper enjoys the routine and process of swimming and sharing the experience with her younger sister. Outside of the pool she loves going to the beach, surfing, skiing in NZ, seeing friends, doing recovery and watching rugby. She particularly enjoys her coffee and scones.

Favourite Quote: “Don’t stop until you’re proud”