In December last year, Hoerskool Linden’s Mariella Venter swam a qualifying time to take her to this year’s Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.
The South African swimming team was selected this month to compete in the Commonwealth Games, and Venter was selected to compete in the 100m backstroke event.
Venter said, “Swimming is a very highly demanding sport to practise for… It takes a lot of time to prepare physically and mentally.
“I do around eight to nine training sessions per week, including physiotherapy.”
Hoerskool Linden’s Marianne Gouws added, “We are extremely proud of Mariella’s achievement and all the hard work and preparation she has put into it. We are also proud of the way that she has balanced her academics and her training, and we can’t wait to watch her compete on TV.”
Venter aims to have a professional swimming career and has accepted a place at the University of Michigan in the United States next year.
Venter said, “The University of Michigan has a strong swimming team with a special focus on backstroke.”
“Besides swimming, I have a passion for business studies… I can’t wait to study economics there.”
The South African team will leave for Australia on 23 March.
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