The 19-year-old secured her qualification at the SA National Championships, held at Unisa, early last month, after impressing in her Ladies Figure Class1 (over 1.63m tall) category.
Her qualification improves the chances for a Boksburg medal, following the qualification of Cindy Willemse and Rachel Chlup – also residents of Boksburg.
“I would just like to mention a big thank you to everyone who supported me through the year; to my brilliant coach Julian Naidoo, and to everyone who contributed to the Ireland trip,” said the former Dr EG Jansen pupil, who joined the sport early this year.
“I am blessed with the most amazing people, and all of you are a major part of my success.”
Asked about her thoughts on qualifying for the global showpiece, Swart commented: “I still can’t believe it. It’s so overwhelming and exciting.
“I am beyond blessed and honoured to represent my country on an international stage.
“There are days that my nerves get the better of me and I overthink a bit, but aside from the ups and downs I am focused and ready to bring my best condition to stage, to enjoy the experience and to give this competition my all.”
Swart added that she does not want to put added pressure on herself by having personal high expectations come competition time.
“I’m not expecting anything, purely for the fact that I have no idea what to expect,” she said.
”I’m competing in a division that is mainly found only on an international stage (ladies bodybuilding u-23).
“The reason for this is that there aren’t enough athletes available on a provincial or national scale to compete in this division.
“It’s basically a junior figure line-up, nobody prepares for a competition with the idea of losing, we all train to win.
“On a realistic scale, I am hoping to place top six, but I’m not putting my heart on anything; just being able to compete on an international stage is already rewarding enough!
”I’m aiming to give it my best, look my best and to enjoy every single moment.
“I’m very proud of how far I’ve come, despite all the obstacles and hiccoughs.” – @SabeloBoksburg
