Accolades galore for dedicated Swim Studio trophy winners

The Swim Studio concluded its three weekends of awards days on a high note in December with a special trophy presentation ceremony, recognising the achievers in 17 categories.

See photos here:

The youngest two trophy winners were Khuselekhile Sikhakhane (3), from Zamakuhle Creche, and Eesa Cotwal (3), as the most advanced girl and boy respectively of all ages.

Both started swimming in 2022 as babies of 19 and 21 months, respectively and have already received three of the maximum 12 badges!

A new trophy awarded this year was the Most Spirited Swimmer award which went to bubbly Peyton Mason of Sunnybanks, who transformed every lesson into an even happier occasion and who, at 6, was already eager to learn the flip turn.

The very well-mannered Malwande Macuacua (10), from Angels Academy, and Olwenkosi Ndlovu (8), from Arbor Park Primary, showed tremendous character not only in the pool but also while being transported to lessons by ‘Mkhulu’ Gerrie Hendriks on the Swim Studio bus.

They were awarded the Most Cooperative Girl and Boy Trophies, respectively.

A 6-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy shared the Trophy for the Most Improved Swimmer of 2023: little Iminathi Mdakane from Sunnybanks and Onthatile Lebenya from St Dominics Newcastle.

Iminathi started her swimming journey at just 14 months old when she and her mom, Londiwe, joined the baby class.

The very worthy Miah Moses (7), also from St Dominics Newcastle, was awarded the Most Promising Swimmer Trophy, and we look forward to seeing her excel if she chooses to continue competitively once she has completed learning breaststroke and butterfly—the last two and most complicated of the Olympic strokes—that she still needs to learn at the Swim Studio.

The trophies for the best 6-year-old boy and girl went to Sbonga Qwabe and Karen Zhang, both of whom the Swim Studio transports from Sunnybank to swim throughout the year in the warm indoor pool.

The talented Sphiwo Ntshangase, who attends lessons twice a week from Hutties, and President Mafolo, who attends lessons once per week from St Dominics Newcastle, received the trophies for the best 7-year-old girl and boy.

The trophies for the best 8-year girl and boy were awarded to Alia Lindeque from Hutties and Siphesihle Mahlaba from Drakies.

Siphesihle executed backstroke and crawl beautifully, while Alia showed the more advanced level of breaststroke and butterfly techniques that she was learning.

With his feet turned out perfectly as is required for the breaststroke, according to the strict Fina Rules, Warrick Mason, from Hutties, was the only 9-year-old who had already mastered three of the four Olympic strokes.

He received the trophy for the best 9-year-old boy while Kate Nana from St Dominics Newcastle won the best 9-year-old girl accolade.

The very dedicated Kate started her lessons twice per week at Swim Studio, just before she turned three, while she was at ECDC Kidz Space.

After a break of a few years, Kate has just, in a noticeably brief time, excelled in mastering the breaststroke and butterfly (the last of the 12 badges!), which she still needs training in under the strict hands-on guidance of Camille and her fellow SS instructors.

This will help her to achieve the correct muscle memory after which she will be ready to start training fitness with a coach.

Years of arduous work, learning the swimming techniques at the Swim Studio, culminated in three more St Dominics Newcastle swimmers receiving the final and top awards:

The trophy for the best senior boy, 10 years and older (born in 2013 or before) went to Blake Seaman (13), who, after receiving his first baby bath demo at his home soon after he was born, has attended lessons on and off over the years.

He has recently mastered the butterfly – the last of the four Olympic strokes.

Due to Blake’s swimming skills, he could become a scuba diver at the youngest allowed age of 12, and he has since executed over 90 ocean dives with his dad!

The trophy for the best senior girl,10 years and older (born in 2013 or before), was, for the first time in the 29 years of the Swim Studio’s existence, shared by Okuhle Mnisi and Awande Ngobeni – both 10 years old.

Okuhle started her swimming career at the age of 28 months in 2016 with her mom, Fiki, in the parent and baby classes and was passionately guided by instructor Camille.

Awande started as a three-year-old, travelling with the SS bus from school twice a week. Over the past seven years, Okuhle and Awande have taken turns at being the best in their age group.

They both have all 12 badges and are learning the five competitive starts and the seven turns, according to the International Swimming Federation (Fina) rules.

Awande and Okuhle are now moving on to a coach to train fitness, and everyone at the Swim Studio wishes them many more years of happy swimming, whether they win competitively or not.

For those not interested in continuing the competitive side of swimming, there are endless other opportunities for accomplished swimmers to enjoy the water safely in our sunny South Africa e.g., water polo, underwater hockey, wind- and kite surfing, boating, skiing, rowing, open water swimming in dams and oceans, and even career opportunities like becoming a lifeguard or scuba diver.

Given the numerous bodies of open water and lately also the devastating floods in northern KZN, every human being should learn how to breathe, regain balance, and other specific skills to save themselves when in water (even before being able to swim), which the Swim Studio has done so expertly for 30 years.

ALSO READ: Young swimmers awarded for their water achievements

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