Local learner selected to represent SA for the second time
The young swimmer shared that this was the second time he was selected to represent SA and he was relieved and excited about it.
A St John’s College learner was recently selected to represent the South African National Youth Elite Swimming Squad.
The Grade 11 learner Muhammad Adam, who is fondly known to family and peers as Moe, has been swimming for as long as he can remember. Moe has been selected to represent the country for the 2020/2021 season. He specialises in 5km, 7.5km and 10km open water races and 1 500m in the pool. “I race and represent South Africa, Gauteng and my club Mandeville Dolphins, where I train under my coach Dean Price for about 10 to 11 sessions week, morning and afternoon, about two hours long each session covering over 12km a day.”
The young swimmer shared that this was the second time he was selected to represent SA and he was relieved and excited about it. “I have had many amazing memories and highlights in my journey, but my most memorable highlights will forever be the first time I represented South Africa when I was 14 at the Junior Open Water Africa Championships in Mauritius in 2017. I remember being absolutely overwhelmed but extremely excited at the same time.”
He added though that this year he had a disappointing season as he broke his nose in a race at the annual national racing and training camp in Nelspruit in January which required him to have surgery the week after nationals and he had really disappointing nationals this year. Nevertheless, the young swimmer learnt from those experiences and moved on.
Moe said, “I have a lot of people to thank for motivating me over the years, My family, my friends and my coaches over the years. But, the person who I owe all the credit to has to be my dad, he is always right by my side, he pushes me harder than anybody else to achieve my goals, whether it be taking me to early morning training 5am at Ellis Park swimming pool or guiding me to fix my mistakes whether I am in or out the pool.
“In my 11 years of open water swimming, my dad has never missed a race, whether it was nationals in PE or leaving at 4am to drive to the Drakensberg for a race, he will be their supporting me the entire way. And even though I am 17 years old, he still walks me to start of every single race. He is my number-one supporter.”
Muhammad said his current goal is to earn a swimming scholarship to study business overseas and race at a university in either Australia, United Kingdom or the United States of America.
Share your achievement stories by email to naidines@caxton.co.za
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