Getting to know Heather Grafe

Team H2O coach Heather Grafe tells us how she started her swimming journey
Tell us about yourself, where were you born?
I was born in Durban where I started my journey of swimming at a very young age.
What made you fall in love with swimming? Why the sport?
I started swimming in the sea with my father who was a very well-known swimmer. He died in 1997. He was a committed and dedicated sportsman who had much respect for the sport. When he died, he was part of the Swim South Africa committee, his dedication was huge. With this sport, I am not following anyone’s footsteps but giving back and encouraging many.

Also read: Getting to know Caitlin Swanepoel

When did you start teaching swimming? How long have you been teaching?
When I was 17 years old, I started helping my coaches to teach new swimmers from different groups. My love for teaching grew, and I have been teaching for 30 years. It has never stopped. My club, Team H2O, has been running for eight years and it has gone from strength to strength.
Have you ever encountered any challenges since you started teaching swimming, especially during lockdown?
Swimming is not just a sport but a life skill. Our biggest challenge, however, in Springs is useable facilities are scarce. Lockdown was a challenging and difficult time but I encourage all to try their best to become healthy and motivated again.
What motivates you?
My motivation every day is when I teach something new in the water. I want to get up and teach a lot of things to all different people.
What are your hopes and dreams?
My hopes and dreams would be for all people from all walks of life to enjoy a day in a pool.

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