``Vince had asthma when he was four,'' his mother, Alyson.

``The swimming has helped a lot, [as] he hardly uses the ventolin now. When he was six-months-old he started to learn to swim here.''

``Here'' is the Justin Rothwell Swim Academy, where 13-year-old Vince is coached by Darryl Howe.

Vince, with his size 12 feet acting as flippers, powered his 54kg frame to win a silver and bronze in the 100m-200m breaststroke respectively at the state age titles at

Homebush.

The mad South Sydney rugby league supporter trains twice a week with Howe, and Rothwell oversees the endurance work.

``The endurance work has given me explosive power,'' Vince said.