La Lucia’s Kyeta shines in Oz
Kyéta Purchase speaks to NGN about her experiences at the Lifesaving World Champs.
LA Lucia resident, Kyéta Purchase ended last year’s Lifesaving World Champs (LWC) in Australia on a high winning a bronze medal in the Mixed Ocean Relay event. The 20-year-old who was representing the South African senior team competed in a number of individual events including, ski, board, taplin and Ironwoman event.
“I have to admit this wasn’t my best performance at a world champs. I had hoped for a medal in the ski race but I messed it up my and made silly mistakes. Having said that, that’s part of racing and it was a huge learning curve for me. I think the same goes for all my other events, it just wasn’t my best,” she explained.
This was Purchase’s second world champs after representing the national team at a junior level three years ago.
In other LWC news: Father, daughter triumph at Lifesaving World Champs
“It was such an honour being selected for the SA senior team as it is incredibly tough. Not many athletes who make a junior team go on to represent the senior team so that was a huge milestone for me. I did find the competition was extremely challenging because I was racing people older and more experienced than me, some who were Olympic athletes even.”
Purchase’s team medal came at the last event of the LWC, the mixed ocean relay.
“It was the first-time ever holding the event so it was great being part of something so prestigious. I was in the team with Carmel Billson, Nick Notten and his brother, Dom Notten. I was part of the last leg of the race which was the paddle and if I remember correctly we were in seventh. I knew this was our last event and I channeled all my energy into it and I guess in part, I wanted to make up for my individual ski race. It was a fantastic feeling crossing the finish line with a medal,” the Marine Surf Lifesaving Club member said.
Read also: Tammy brings home gold from world champs
Overall, Team South Africa (open and youth) finished sixth overall in the combined pool and surf competitions.
Purchase added she would now take a step away from competing in lifesaving and would focus on her paddling with the world surfski and world marathon champ still to come this year.
