While the Fina World Championships in Budapest may boast some 3,000 athletes from 182 nations competing across six disciplines (diving, synchronised swimming, swimming, waterpolo, open water swimming, and high diving), Lauren is the sole representative from her country here at the world meet.

In comparison with top aquatic nations such as Australia, Britain and Italy, the Cayman Islands is one of six countries — the others being American Samoa, British Virgin Islands, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Timor-Leste — that have only one athlete here in Budapest for the world meet.

Located in the western Caribbean Sea, the Cayman Islands is a cluster of three islands about one-third the size of Singapore, and the tiny nation boasts a population of approximately 60,000 — about the same as Bishan town.

She may only be 17, but already Lauren is one of the oldest swimmers in the national team.

The teenager is making her second appearance at the world championships (long course), and competed in the 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke this week.

She finished 50th in the 100m backstroke with a time of 1:08.38. In the 200m freestyle, she came in 41st overall with a time of 2:08.91.

Lauren admitted to TODAY that being her country’s sole representative can be a lonely experience.

“Right now we don’t really have any senior swimmers swimming at all from our country … some of the younger kids that made cuts for our country went to the youth meets,” she said.

“It’s kind of lonely, weird just being the only one, but I have friends from around the world that I see here. I have a lot of friends from the Caribbean, from Curacao, Bahamas and Jamaica that I know from going to meets in the Caribbean as a kid. That’s good, I get to hang out with them when I’m here.”

Swimming is a niche sport in the Caribbean nation, where sports such as football, sailing and cricket rule the roost. In fact, the Cayman Islands has only two 25m swimming pools, while a 50m Olympic-sized pool opened only last April in a private condominium.

Lauren started swimming as a young child after she was inspired by an older cousin, and her grandfather had also helped build the first swimming pool on the island over two decades ago.

Training in a 25m pool for most of her swimming career also threw up some interesting — and amusing — challenges for the teenager, who set two new national records in the 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle at last year’s Fina short course world championships in Ontario, Canada.

She added: “I never trained 50m when I was a kid, I guess that’s how I got good at underwater (techniques) and turns.

“When I went to competitions, it was always kind of a shock to swim 50m. I always wanted to turn at 25m! It’s weird, you go from short course to long course, and it’s like kind of waiting for the wall to get there.”

However, the lack of proper facilities, infrastructure and training partners saw the budding young swimmer making the move to Florida, United States, to study and train at Saint Andrew’s School.

She is also looking to enrol in university in Florida next year after graduating from high school.

Said Lauren, who also enjoys free diving, skateboarding and wakeboarding: “There weren’t a lot of kids at my level to train with, and it’s kind of a disadvantage really. That’s why I had to go to Florida, because it was hard to train at home.

“I’ve been there for only a year, and for me it’s a pretty easy transition because I’m swimming outdoors and the climate is similar to how it is at home.

“I knew a couple of the kids from Caribbean swim meets so they’re kind of my family now.”

The Cayman Islands may be better known as a tax haven for the wealthy, but Lauren is keen — in her own way — to help her country leave its mark on the international sporting stage.

“My goal is to go to Tokyo 2020 and also swim well in college,” she said.

“The world champs makes you feel very small, and it’s shocking when you see all these big teams that have so many fast athletes.

“But it also makes me feel proud that I am able to swim at this level as well, just being from a small country.

“For us, to come to meets like this, we are funded by Fina (the world swimming body), and for some other meets, we are funded by our Olympic committee, so that helps the base funding that we get.

“You have to be lucky enough to have funding from your parents if you want to get off the island and become better.

“The most important thing to do is to represent your country well and that’s one of the biggest honours you can have.

“I’m very lucky that I get to represent my country all the time and I’m very proud to do that.”