Kelsey White will head to the Tokyo Olympics Games
RANDPARK RIDGE – The sportswoman is part of the women's water polo that will represent the country.
Rand Park High School alumni, Kelsey White will form part of the Women’s Water Polo team at the Tokyo Olympic Games and she is honoured to be part of it.
Kelsey, who matriculated from the school in 2008, has played water polo for 18 years and has been lucky enough to be involved with water polo through her work as the head of aquatics at St Mary’s School, “I work with young athletes and I love being able to do what I love through the sport.”
The athlete, whose family home is in Randburg, loves the fact there are many elements to being a water polo player. The sport encourages one to have strength, be fit, accurate, fast in the water, and able to make many different decisions all at once. Kelsey loves that one is not limited to just one position which is accompanied by the fast pace of the game.
About going to the Olympics, she said, “It is every athlete’s dream to be able to go to the Olympics and now finally for my sport, younger players will be able to aspire to go.”
The sportswoman had always wanted to reach the highest level of the competition and she is glad that after 18 years she can finally be part of it. The country’s water polo team competes in Fina events (Fédération Internationale De Natation), an international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competitions in water sports. “To now be in the Olympics is something every water polo player in South Africa has worked towards.”
The ambitious water polo player is honoured and blessed at the opportunity and said she is thrilled to also make history by being part of the very first South African Women’s Polo team to compete in the Olympics. Being one of the more experienced players, she hopes to guide and mentor the younger players in her team. “I hope that our hard work as a squad over the past eight months will pay off in some manner. We are playing very tough professional opposition and we hope to do our very best to make our name known.”
Her message to young polo players in the community is, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Step up to the challenges that pass your way. Never ever give up and to always learn and keep learning.”
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