Support Tatjana Smith: Investing in SA’s swimming future

Many of us smug, nonplayers love to expound on how our successful sportsmen and women should be role models for our young people, mentoring them to reach the same heights of success and bring glory and honour to South Africa.

One such role model is our latest “golden girl”, Olympic gold and silver medallist Tatjana Smith who, even at the comparatively young age of 27, is quitting the sport but vowing to use her experience on the global stage to guide the careers of future swimming stars.

Gifted in the pool but with an educated sensible head on her shoulders, too, Smith was spot-on when she observed, in an interview, that in South Africa, “we don’t have anyone that really truly represents swimmers, understands how we think as swimmers”.

She also noted that finding sponsors was a difficult challenge for up-and-coming stars, echoing what another gold medallist, Ryk Neethling, said when speaking on SuperSport about the future of swimming in SA.

Swimming is a sport in which South Africa – with its pleasant weather and outdoor lifestyle culture – can be a world beater. Another Olympic gold medal winner, Penny Heyns, said as much, too, when commentating on the Paris Olympics.

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Smith, Neethling and Heyns are all intelligent, articulate voices for the swimming community and we, as a nation, should be listening to them.

We need sponsors to invest in the future of our swimmers, especially those from disadvantaged communities, who still lack basic facilities such as pools and coaches.

We don’t need sponsors to cynically ride on the coattails of the success of people like Smith, as Nando’s did after her gold medal triumph… despite not putting any money into SA Swimming.

Swimming is a great, renewable natural resource which burnishes the image of our country.

Let’s nurture it.

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