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Fresh & Hungry: Kaylene Corbett

March 28, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Kaylene Corbett is a fierce champion girl in and out of SA, as she has proudly represented our nation last year in her green and gold in Samoa at the Commomwealth Youth Games. Congratulations to Kaylene on her recent victories at the SA National Age Group Level 3 Champs (18-22 March 2016) in PE: Gold in 50m breaststroke, Gold in 100m breaststroke, Gold 200m breaststroke, 3rd for 200m IM and 3rd for 4x100m Medley Relay.

It looks to me like we have the next Penny Heyns in the making, this is absolutely marvellous. Kaylene not only excels in swimming but also in her faith in God and is a firm advocate of a well educated youth. She says: “I am very dedicated and motivated to the things that I love, when I put my mind to something I would do anything in my power to achieve it”.

*Athlete: Bio / Stats*
Name & Surname	*Kaylene Corbett*
Nick Name	Corbett
Date of birth	15 June 1999
Place of birth	Bloemfontein
Current City	Port Elizabeth
Height	1.73m
Shoe Size	5
Club	Port Elizabeth Amateur Swimming (PEA)
Coach’s Name	Mark Edge
Out of Country events	Commonwealth Youth Games, Fina World Cup (Doha and Dubai legs)
Favorite Song/ type of music	I enjoy lots of different types of music. It can vary from drum and bass to pop. My favorite artist is definitely Justin Bieber.
Favorite Movie	Tangled
School & Grade	Pearson High School, Gr11
Sponsors	NurtiTech, TYR and The Eastern Cape Academy of Sport (ECAS)
Twitter Instagram Facebook	Twitter- @kaylenecorbett Instagram- @kaylenecorbett Facebook – Kaylene Corbett
Parents Names, Siblings	Mom- Marly Corbett Dad- Jacques Corbett Sister – Micolé Corbett (3) Brother- Jadon Corbett (14)

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are passionate and doing so well in your Swimming tell me a little bit about how you started in Swimming and your journey in the Swimming arena up to now?

My brother is to thank for the start of my swimming career in Hartswater. He was absolutely terrified of water when we were younger. I in the other hand was in love with water from the beginning, my mom use to call me her water baby. So my parents took my brother and I to a lady called Linda Mullin when I was about 6/7 to get us water safe. I quickly took to the sport and started competing in galas at the age of 8. I definitely struggled at the beginning of my swimming but from the beginning Aunty Linda use to say she knows I’m going to be a breaststroker. In 2010 we moved from Hartswater to Port Elizabeth and one of the reasons for our move was for my swimming career. In PE my love for the sport and my dedication grew and now I’m still going strong after 8 years.

Q: You did brilliant by medaling and proudly represented our beautiful nation as part of Team SA at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, Apia, Samoa (5-12 September 2015). Wow – Well done! How did you experience that?

Thank you so much!!! The week of the Youth Commonwealth Games was definitely a once in a life time experience and I will never forget that week. It was my first time to leave South Africa and it was also my first time to represent my country and it was everything I thought it would be. It was such a great experience as we got to see a part of the world that not a lot of people would ever see. The racing was done in a breathtaking pool the Samoan people are so friendly and happy all the time. At every gala you learn something new about yourself and about other people at this particular gala I learnt that you can never give up and you should always strive to be even better and to never settle with what you’ve achieved always aim higher. It also learned to dream even bigger.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of Education in a young person’s life?

Education is number one priority. You can be incredible in sport but if you don’t have something to fall back on when sport fails you have nothing. You should also try balance the two if sport is important to you and if you want to make a career out of it or become a professional sportsman/woman you should maybe look at homeschooling so you have more time to focus on your sport. It is very important that we become educated youth so we can grow the country because after all we are the leaders of tomorrow. I’m very fortunate to have a school that cares, Pearson High School, that helps me cope with everything when I am out of school weeks on end and the teachers strive to help me understand and get through all the work so I can be ready for exams/tests.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey and how it has affected your life / sports?

God is a big part of my life and he has given me everything I have today. I grew up with my mom reading Bible stories to me and so God has always been part of my daily basis. I owe everything to Him. When the going got tough God was always there.

Q: What do you do to relax?

Spending time with family and friends is something I love doing and it always have me in a good mood, I also enjoy reading and watching tv.

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

In order to succeed you must first believe that you can.

Q: What is your favourite Bible Scripture?

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – Phil 4:13

Q: In your opinion, how do you define success in life?

A successful person in my eyes is someone who tried everything in order to succeed. Someone who is happy with what they have attained and what they worked for.

Q: What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

My biggest challenge is to wake up in the morning for morning training. I am not a morning person so unfortunately I hate waking up at 4:30am to go to swimming. To manage this I try to go to bed as early as possible and when I wake up try and think about my goals I want to achieve.

Q: What’s your WHY ? Why do you do what you do?

My “why” is because I absolutely love the sport. It’s something I enjoy doing, It’s something I want to do for a very long time.

Q: What is your message of encouragement to South African and African youth and our nation?

Never ever give up.

Q: What are you most grateful for in your life at the moment?

First of all God cause He gave me the talent and love for the sport. He also helps me through all the tough times when I don’t want to do anything. Second of all my mom and dad they do everything for me and when I mean everything, I mean they drive me around everywhere. When I need something they got it covered. They support me with everything and love me even when I fail.

Q: What are your upcoming events where your fans can follow and support you?

SA age group Level 3 (17-21 March)

SA nationals and Olympic trials (10-16 April)

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

I would just like to personally thank my parents, for everything they do for me daily; I love them with all my heart, and my sponsors for everything.

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!

NB – All images were supplied by the athlete to Heslop Sports. If there are any images that are not credited correctly, please email info@heslopsports.co.za with the details and we will gladly do so immediately.

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Level 3 Swimming 2016: Memoirs of a Mom

March 24, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

In the compelling report below Rene shares her journey as a parent of a young athlete. Early mornings, late nights, tired bodies and all the challenges that are strewed along the journey to success. Success is never given on a platter it is always earned by blood, sweat and tears. There are NO shortcuts to success: you cannot cheat the grind! Always a lesson, never a failure. What strikes me about her account is the gratefulness to God, the humility and the joy of being blessed. This gives hope for many parents and young athletes on this same journey. Thank you and congratulations Riekert Family!

Written by Rene Riekert: mom of brilliant youth Swimmer Ethan Riekert

“Terug by die huis met 10 medaljes: 1ste 50 back; 1ste 50 free; 1ste 100 free; 1ste 100 back; 3de 200 back; 2 x 1ste vir relay; 1x 2de vir relay en 2 x 3de vir relay Maar wat beteken dit? Waar begin dit?

Het dit begin by daardie swemskool gala met daardie eerste plastiek medalje, of was dit ‘n juffrou wat gese het daar is talent, of was dit soos Ryk Neethling se daardie eerste nederlaag wat jou net wil laat terug veg? Want verloor was nog nooit lekker nie. Doelwitte moet bereik word. Harde werk is nie vir niks nie.

Dit begin maar eers by ‘n rustige 2 keer per week. Dan so stadig aan meer en meer dan na ‘n rukkie kan niemand meer onthou hoe dit skielik so gereeld is nie! Vriende en familie is al gewoond as ons se ”jammer maar Ethan moet swem”. Nou is dit al 8-10 keer ‘n week. 3 keer ‘n week 4 uur opstaan. Laat gaan slaap.

Hy val darem nog nie vir die snaakse dieeet nie, so daar is ek nog veilig (vir nou J) behalwe die hoeveelheid eet, want swemmers raak mos honger. En dan is dit die nat handoeke die huis vol is; sake pak; geldjies uit haal vir nuwe racing costumes wat so dun is soos ‘n sykouse maar so duur is soos ‘n aandrok . Naweek vir naweek sit by age groups.

En dan om te kwalifiseer vir level 3, enige kind se droom en ‘n ouer se nag merrie amper want ons weet wat wag. Hierdie foto van die swembad spreek soveel meer as woorde, hier is baie emosies opgevang. Trane van vreugde, trane van blydskap, elke kind het ‘n verwagting wat ‘n jaar lank voor geoefen word: 15 ure per week, elke dag van die jaar wat in bv 30 sekondes ‘n uitkoms gee. En ‘n 13 jarige moet dit net daar kan hanteer: uitklim en aangaan. Omdraai weer swem of niks nou gebeur het nie. So asof ‘n droom nou glad nie in skerwe gespat het nie. En ma moet weer die stukke optel.

Om ‘n voorbeeld te gee met die 50 free was daar 48x 13 jariges wat deel geneem het met tye wat splitsekondes verskil. Almal werk min of meer ewe hard glo ek want jy moet as jy level 3 is. Wie is die een wat wen? Die een wat die beste coach het? Meeste getaper het? Luck? Talent? Mental fitness? Beste touch? Vinnigste draai? Genade?

Maar sien verloor is nie verloor nie, nie by levels nie. Eintlik wen almal . Daar is so baie om te leer. Dit is Hoe jy jou race geswem het! Hoe het jy uitgeklim? Dankbaar of negatief!? Jy was deel van die bestes in die land. En nie net jy in die water maar jou ondersteuners in die stand.

Kon jul leer of is dit nou weer iets of iemand se skuld? Om te PB (personal best) of te kwalifiseer is relatief teenoor ons houding en dankbaarheid. Die ure se oefening gaan nooit ophou nie; die wen en verloor ook nie.

En die dankbaarheid en nederigheid in sy oe wat ek daar beleef het teenoor sy Vader, coach,medeswemmers en ouers sal ek nooit vergeet nie. Hierop is ek die trotste!

Ek wil bevoeg: voor Levels het die Here my ‘n belofte gegee dat dit sal goed gaan en Hy het Ethan uit sy sokkies geseen. “Omdat Ek jou Genadig is en omdat jy gevra het en Ek belowe het om te antwoord sou jy vra”. Ek het tot voor die tyd vir sy coach gese ons is rustig. Hoe awesome is dit.

Dankie aan ons Here wat ons gedra het hierdie jaar en week. Want glo my dit was en is tuff. Baie dankie vir elkeen wat ons op hierdie paadjie ondersteun want ek het al menigmaal gewonder is dit die moeite werd; is hy nie te jonk nie? Maar die passie wat hom dryf is onomkeerbaar”.

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Fresh & Hungry: Jamie Reynolds

March 17, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Jamie Hannah Reynolds, one of SA’s top girl athletes and brilliant swimmer shares her journey. When I connected with Jamie she immediately responded with vigour and passion. I love that ‘lets do this thing’ attitude in a young person! Jamie is proudly a freshman at the University of Nevada, Reno, getting some brilliant coaching, academics and support in her quest for swimming excellence.

I have said this before and connecting with Jamie I say it again: I stand in awe, moved and inspired each and every time I connect with our young athletes. How blessed are we to see in our youth such a generation of World Changers and History makers rising up. This is why their stories MUST be told and their legacy in the making must be celebrated!

Jamie says this is HER WHY: “I do what I do, because I can’t imagine doing anything else. Swimming has been a part of my lifestyle throughout my life. I have made sacrifices in order to achieve my goals. I don’t strive to be any ordinary swimmer, but I strive to be the best, and I will keep working at it. I want to be able to prove to people, that when you put your mind to something and stay committed, anything is possible”.

Athlete: Bio / Stats
Name & Surname	Jamie Hannah Reynolds
Nick Name	Jummie
Date of birth	02 January 1998
Place of birth	Pietermaritzburg, KZN
Current City	Reno
Height	177cm
Weight	75KG
Shoe Size	8
Club	Seals
Coach’s Name	Wayne Ridden
Out of Country events/ meets	Youth Commonwealth Games 2015, Samoa All African U21 games, Zimbabwe World cup swim series, Hong Kong
Favorite City	Barcelona
Favorite Song/ type of music	Milky Chance –Flashed junk mind
Favorite Movie	Inside out
Tertiary Inst Name/ Year	University of Nevada, Reno / Freshman
Tertiary degree/ diploma	Business administration
Twitter and Instagram names, facebook name	Instagram: jamiehannah08 Facebook: Jamie Reynolds
Parents Names, siblings	Parents: Bryan and Helen Reynolds Siblings: Merryn and Abby

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are currently studying and training out of country at the University of Nevada in the US this year. Do you want to share a little about this?

I have always wanted to study and forgo my swimming career in the U.S.A. Fortunately I was contacted by Coach Neil Harper, head coach of the University of Nevada’s swimming team, offering me a spot on their team. I started here in their spring and have currently spent just over 2 months on the team. I am absolutely loving being apart of such a successful and supportive team. The atmosphere, facilities and new experiences I have had, have been remarkable and I couldn’t have made a better decision.

Q: You are passionate and doing so well in your swimming tell me a little bit about how you started in swimming and your journey in the swimming arena up to now?

I started swimming at around the age of 8. From then onwards I started to go to private swim lessons and swim mini galas. As soon as I started to become more and more competitive in the sport, that’s when I decided that this was what I wanted to do. I was fortunate enough to train with a great bunch of swimmers at the Seals Swimming Club, during my school career. I was also fortunate enough to have been coached under Wayne Ridden, who always supported me in and out of the pool. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to have achieved what I have today without the support of my fellow teammates, coach and especially my family.

Q: Who are you?

I am a very relaxed person. I am always happy when I am around my family and friends and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything else. I don’t get worked up over small things. I believe that my time should be spent doing other things, rather than holding grudges.

Q: What is the highest accolade that you have achieved in swimming and what is your greatest personal accomplishment?

My highest achievement for my swimming career so far would be being one of the four girls in the country selected, to represent South Africa in the Youth Commonwealth games in 2015.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of Education in a young person’s life?

Education is vital to one. It helps your mind grow and opens up a whole new world for you. Many athletes rely on the sport they do to get them places in life, but the truth is, you can’t rely on your sporting talent forever. You always need a back up plan and the one thing someone can never take away from you; is the knowledge you have learned.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey and how it has affected your life / sports?

I went through a stage in my swimming career where things weren’t going too great and my times weren’t improving. These are the hardest days any athlete can go through, as you train so hard, but are rewarded by nothing. My dad kept me motivated throughout this and told me to keep at it, keep believing and have faith. This taught me one of my major lessons in life. God always has a plan for you, you just have to be patient, keep at it and sooner or later it will come. It may not come when you would like it to come, but it will come when God knows is the right time.

Q: What do you do to relax?

I listen to music, hangout with my family or chill outdoors around the pool.

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

“It never gets easier; you just get stronger.”

Q: What is your favourite Bible quote?

For with God nothing shall be impossible – Luke 1:37

Q: You were / are part of a small group of girls who was identified to go to Rio Olympics a while back in 2013, “Get the girls to Gold”, is this “program” still on track, and how is it working for you?

Unfortunately, this program is not still on track. It started off great, but slowly interest was lost, and the whole program fell apart.

Q: In your opinion, how do you define success in life?

Success is being able to get up at 4:30 in the morning, put in the hard hours of blood sweat and tears, and know its all going to be worth it in the end. As when you win that race, nothing can beat that feeling.

Q: What is your message of encouragement to our youth in SA and globally?

Once you find your passion, never give it up because its hard or because you may not be the best at it. Follow through with it, work hard at it and most importantly, don’t give it up, as if you try something, you risk failure, BUT if you don’t try, you risk nothing at all.

Q: How are you feeling about coming back home to SA next month and the Olympic trials at our beloved Kings Park?

I am feeling extremely excited to come back home and race in the Olympic Trials. I have been under a great new program here at Nevada. I have been putting in the hard work, working on my techniques and have had the greatest support from the team and the coaches. I look forward to see my improvement and what great things I can do in the pool.

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!

Some of the photos above: Credits to Lisa Gallager.

Home Interviews Olympics 2016 Rio Proudly South African Sports Swimming

Fresh & Hungry: Marne Erasmus

March 12, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Today we connect over the far waters with East London born Marne Erasmus. A very fine Proudly South African “Export” who is currently studying in the US at the Southern Methodist University. Marne is doing brilliant there, she is dedicated, hard working and we look much forward to seeing her next month in fine form and top gear as she steps back onto African soil to come and compete at Olympic trials in Durban starting 10 April.

She says “I am humble and caring but also strong and independent”. “I don’t see my life decisions as sacrifices. I see them as opportunities. I have been very fortunate to have had the experiences that I have in life. To me it is most important to remain humble and not lose who I am along the way. It is easy to get swept up in prestige but I do not want that for myself”.

*Athlete: Bio / Stats*
Name & Surname	Marne Erasmus
Date of birth	May 23^rd 1995
Place of birth	East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Current City	Dallas, Texas, USA
Club	SMU Mustangs
Coach’s Name	Steve Collins
Out of Country events/ meets	World championships (long course and short course), commonwealth games (youth and senior), NCAA (American college national championship), Zone six African games
Secondary Sport/ sports	Netball, tennis, yoga
Favorite City	Cape Town
Favorite Song/ type of music	Indie/alternative
Favorite Movie	The Brother’s Bloom
School & Grade	Junior (3^rd year)
Tertiary Inst Name/ Year	Southern Methodist University
Tertiary degree/ diploma	Major in political science and history, minor in religious studies and English
Parents Names, siblings	Marco, Sarisa & Anri, Greyling

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are currently studying and swimming at Southern Methodist University Dallas, passionate and doing so well in your swimming tell me a little bit about how you started in swimming and your journey in the swimming arena up to now?

I started swimming when I was two years old as my mother wanted my sister and me to be water safe. Many babies drowned in our city around the time that I was born, so my mother wanted to do everything that she could to keep myself and my sister from coming to any harm. So I started at age two and am still going at age 20.

Q: What is the highest accolade that you have achieved in swimming and what is your greatest personal accomplishment?

I won a gold medal at the youth commonwealth games in 2010 but I think my proudest moment was when I won a bronze medal at the NCAA in my freshman year.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of Education in a young person’s life?

Education is one of the most important things in any one person’s life. It is so important that the younger generations be well educated so that they may grow up to be generous and well informed leaders.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey and how it has affected your life / sports?

I have had a very interesting journey with faith, one that I am still trying to figure out. I do not believe that people should be restricted to any one faith and that many people find spiritual fulfilment in a number of different religious and spiritual practices. Our social settings and cultural surroundings often nudge us into one direction, but it is important to identify what makes you happy and whole. Personally, I have changed a lot since I left home and I do believe that I became a happier and more fulfilled person due to the realization that my faith is something that I need to truly believe in for it to be my faith. At the moment, I’m not quite sure what that is.

Q: You are living overseas at the moment, what does it feel like?

I love living in Dallas. I think it I an amazing place to study and be a young person and I have definitely learned a lot and matured during my stay here. Dallas will always hold a very special place in my heart as it is where some of my fondest memories as a young adult have been fostered.

Q: What do you do to relax?

Go out with friends or sleep! Mostly we’re so tired that we just try and relax.

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. – Chinese Proverb

Q: What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

Staying calm in time when my schedule is overwhelming and I feel like I’ve committed to more than I can handle. When I get to this point in the semester I try to stay organized and get to the most important things first. I’d rather do a few things to the best of my ability than do everything half-heartedly.

Q: In your opinion, how do you define success in life?

If you are content within yourself and your own personal achievements; you are successful!

Q: What’s your WHY?

I do what I do because I’ve been blessed with a talent that I cannot neglect. I’m very interested in the relationship between politics and religion in war torn areas such as the Middle East and North Africa, so ideally I would like to work for an NGO or an IGO in matters concerning women and children’s rights. I’m not sure if I’ll head home anytime soon… I want to travel and work in different places first, but who knows what the future holds?

Q: What is your message of encouragement to South African and youth of the world?

Never let your circumstances define you. You are capable of more than you think! Always do what makes you happy, regardless of popular opinion or external pressures.

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!

NB – All images were supplied by the athlete to Heslop Sports. If there are any images that are not credited correctly, please email info@heslopsports.co.za with the details and we will gladly do so immediately.

Diving Home Proudly South African Sports

Up-Close with Coach Dominique Philippopoulos

March 10, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Up close with our National Coach for Diving, Coach Dom. Brilliant, talented, dedicated, strict and lazer focussed she is. A true gem and an asset for our nation’s sport arena. She comes form a long and rich history of swimming and academic excellence herself. She takes a “no nonsense” stand with our young athletes to get them to the world’s top arenas in diving.

She says “Yes, my squad is small 4 – 6 divers and we have big goals, we do laugh and have melt down moments and sessions when plans have to change to accommodate the chaos. It is always goal driven hard work that is top of mind. We chase dreams and we stand in honesty about where we are in relation to goals. I always remind them that while they are not training their competitor is – and you can never make up on missed training time. I am seldom nice but if you want to chase the dreams there is no nice until a goal is achieved”.

*Bio / Stats*
Name & Surname	Dominique Philippopoulos
Nick Name	Dom
Date of birth	No ways
Place of birth	Johannesburg
Current City	Johannesburg
Qualifications / accolades Sport	Ma Wits University SA Diving Coach – youth and senior Rippers Diving club coach Teacher 19 years Parktown Boys 6 years Kingsmead College
Twitter Facebook names	Twitter – diver_dom Facebook – Dominique Philippopoulos Facebook – Rippers Diving Club

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are proudly the National coach for our diving. You have a long and rich history of excellence at top level yourself and working with SA’s youth. Congrats! Tell me a little bit about your own / personal sports career / journey up to this point?

This is probably the funniest part of my career I was a top swimmer from age 10 and achieved many accolades in my primary years. I went to nationals as a swimmer for the first time at 14 in ooppps 1980 and remember going to nationals at Ellis Park in 1979 and the pool was empty and they called in the fire department to fill the pool…..imagine that now the uproar …. I swam and made many of the primary school teams from about 1970 onwards and high school teams with Bill Lamont who called me Smithy as he could never pronounce Philippopoulos. I swam for Zoo Lake swimming club during my youth. My first swimming coach was Bernard Green who coached out of Yeoville Swimming Pool.

If I knew now what I knew then about athlete development and LTAD I may have managed to swim through my growth spurt and keep going but those days there were no reasons for getting stuck and not improving as you mature. Anyway in matric I decided that my school diving team was pretty weak but the swimming team could win girls inter high and so I needed to try dive and make sure we won ….oh the arrogance of youth, but the diving bug bit and I happily left swimming to dive for Gauteng and continued to do so until 2001, when not only did I dive but also played water polo that year at nationals for Gauteng. I finally decided that it was time to not spend every day at the pool …time for me. During that time I coached school diving while studying and then teaching at Parktown Boy. By 2001 I decided it’s time to quit, that lasted 6 months I couldn’t manage to say no to a request to come back and coach in my old coaches place and so back to coaching I went…15 years later…. And 36 nationals this year ….stupid ……

Q: You are currently at Rio for the Fina Diving World Cup. How is it going there? What can we expect for Rio Olympics come August, in general and for your athletes?

Generally it is going well. We have had some issues but is that not the reason for the test meet for the host country to gain experience and to find solutions to situations that one may not have expected to arise. The South African divers have performed well and I think that although they may be a little disappointed in their personal results they have done us proud, Jaimee Gundry placed 31 out of 38 girls on 10m platform and this is a specialized event that always has a smaller field of divers that are brave enough to fly themselves off 10 meters.

In the 3m event Julia Vincent placed 28^th and Micaela Bouter 34^th out of 54 divers. This was is really impressive in such a large field, however I know that they all wanted to make the semi finals which in diving is top 18 as this would have secured the NOC a place at the Olympic Games.

This does not mean that they have not qualified (and I speak of all of them) only that we will need to wait and find out about available spaces. This information will be sent to the NOC within a week of this event, so fingers crossed.

Q: At this moment – what are you working on / towards with your diving team?

With my junior divers we are working to make the selection requirements for World Juniors 2016, and they are motivated to follow in their team mates steps and compete internationally.

Q: What is you motto as a leader of the Team and in general?

“GO BE BRILLIANT”

Q: What is your favorite part about coaching?

Working with young divers that have passion and no worries in their life except to dive.

Q: If you could change a rule in Diving, what would it be?

I think I miss the grace of the small dives and while I can understand every rationale of not doing them they still kept diving beautiful, not that it is not beautiful but you have to be so strong and so skilled to do hard dives with grace and ease. However watching say 54 divers all do the same easy graceful dives really does not work in the new generation and television audiences.

Q: Besides your professional work as a coach – what do you have a passion for?

Teaching, Photography, Music.

Q: Name the best moment of your coaching career so far?

There have been many I am so privileged, every win, every international competition are all highlights.

Q: Tell me about what you like to do to relax?

Gardening, watching a thunderstorm come in from the patio, reading and learning.

Q: What word of motivation / tips do you have for young athletes?

Just love what you do and do it with all your heart, there is time for sleep later on in life….

That quote: when you want it as much as you want to breath that’s when you achieve.

And I love the quote that goes something like:

Courage does not always roar, sometimes it’s the quite voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.

Q: When an athlete / team hits some “hard / difficult” patch in their sports career, what advice can you give them in this regard?

I think this all happens in the coaching, we teach them to achieve to look on lessons and learn from them, for me I am brutally honest so if a dive is not working I prepare the girls to ensure that their expectations are real and achievable. The courage quote also its not how low you go but how high you bounce afterwards.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey and how it has affected your life / sports?

I just believe we are on this earth with a talent and we need to honour that talent and use it to change lives, to make a difference no matter how small

Q: Besides your diving coaching, what other business ventures / community projects are you involved in?

I teach and in reality my days start at 05:45 at school and end at 19:30 in the evenings. Saturdays are comps and training and yes we dive on Sundays as well. I help in my community where I can, but I was at our community pool the other day (during the heat wave) and we swam and a little child came to me and said ” you swim good you should share”. I’d love to find the time to do some learn to swim for the kids in my community that are at schools without swimming programmes, but honestly the very little time I have I need to spend on me to recharge and do my best with the kids I teach and the divers I coach.

Q: What are you reading at the moment?

Paulo Coelho Manuscripts Found in Accra – I love the Alchamist so decided to buy this at the airprot with Lee Child novel – I love them they are easy reading.

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

It’s tough and often thankless and many times you want to quit but that’s when the tide will turn so persevere, chase the dream…..

And Coach Dom, We will remind you of this when you want to give up. Pass your knowledge and passion on to someone else so they can fight the good fight and then you will truly enjoy your garden….

Thank you so much Coach for taking this interview and for all that you do for our Precious Youth. We would like to wish you all the best for the future and for your plans ahead. Blessings!

Home Netball Proudly South African Solami Buthelezi Sports

Fresh & Hungry: Solami Buthelezi

March 5, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Solami Buthelizi, up and coming youth netball star is not only a brilliant athlete but a young girl with such wisdom and insight into the wider issues of life. I look forward to following her sporting career in the future. She has this to say as a message of encouragement to the youth of SA:

“Be so great that they can’t ignore you ! If you have a desire to do something, always make sure that you give it the necessary attention – your mind, heart, body and soul so that people cannot do anything except acknowledge your achievement (and they will, even if it’s not to your face). *But don’t do something with the sole purpose of getting acknowledgement, there’s a healthy balance between the two – find it”.

Athlete: Bio / Stats
Name & Surname	Solami Buthelezi
Nick Name	Solly
Date of birth	15 March
Place of birth	KwaZulu-Natal
Current City	Durban
Height	173 cm
Weight	70 kg
Shoe Size	8\9
Club	KZN Midlands
Coach’s Name	Belinda Pitt
Secondary Sport/ sports	Athletics
Favorite City	Cape Town
Favorite Song	Black Skinhead – Kanye West
Favorite Movie	Men in Black 2 & Notorious
School & Grade	St Mary’s Dsg, Kloof , Grade 11
Instagram Facebook	Instagram: SolamiButhelezi Facebook : Solami Khethiwe Buthelezi
Community projects involved in	Helped out at St Vincents Children’s home (offering academic support) and helped out at the Kloof SPCA tea garden.
Parents Names Siblings	Nomkhosi Zulu and Harvey Sicelo Buthelezi Brother – Matoti Buthelezi

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are passionate and doing so well in your Netball tell me a little bit about how you started in Netball and your journey in the Netball arena up to now?

I played my first netball game in grade 1, I remember doing everything I wasn’t supposed to on the court and just wanting to go home. I was put under a lot of pressure by my family and teachers to play netball because of my height. In grade 3, I had a deeper understanding of the game and enjoyed it far more, that was when I started playing competitively. Now I play netball almost every day of the week at the New Germany Action Sports arena and every weekend at the Midlands action sports arena. I’ve always really loved netball and it’s always been my favourite sport but since last year, I’ve become really familiar with the quote, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” and I’ve put that into heavy practice. I won’t allow my talent to go down the drain. This year, I plan on taking my level of play to new heights, starting off with the IPTsin 3 weeks so I’m training hard !

Q: Who are you?

I am a very opinionated girl however, I am open minded and I will easily change my perceptions if new information shows itself. I believe that “your attitude determines your latitude” – Kanye West. Mind-set will conquer most of the battles we face along with choosing your battles accordingly. I value my heritage (Zulu) a lot. I’m a sociable person but according to a couple of internet tests, I am “a good balance between introvert and extrovert”. I aim to be a well-rounded and globally informed person and I aim to test my limits and fears in the near future.

Q: What is the highest accolade that you have achieved in Netball and what is your greatest personal accomplishment?

The opportunity to play in the 2016 action Netball IPT.

Q: At which champs / meet have you competed recently? How did you experience that?

I recently played at the Super league (outdoor netball) tournament and at the Midlands tournament (action netball). Every time I go to tournaments like these, I see the same faces. This showed me that the people who train hard and take the time out to pursue their talents are the ones who remain on top of their game. I also learned that it’s very important to aim for your own personal best every game and at every training to achieve optimal results as opposed to competing with someone else to be the best player.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of Education for our youth?

Education is of great value. It’s highly important to have an opinion about national/global issues and the youth is best fit to deal with them but how can we expect solutions and change if the youth itself cannot formulate opinions due to a lack of education? Also, the flourishing of bad governance is aided by a people who cannot think for themselves. Through education for all, our country will see good governance, a more efficient work force and a huge boost in our economy (which we need more than anything right now) amongst other things.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey?

I grew up in a very Christian home where we were all encouraged to pray but never forced. During my many experiments and adventures in my childhood, I winded up in scripture union camps and really experienced God’s love for myself outside of home and wanted to know more about him, now God is my everything, I’ve taught myself that all the burdens and worries I have are unnecessary and cause clutter and that I should take them to God in prayer. I am grateful that I know God; he is my most valuable piece of information. My prayer every day is “God Guide My Grind” this prayer is asking that God will open doors for my netball, guard me against injury and give me the strength to train every day.

Q: What do you do to relax?

I sleep. I literally feel like there are not enough hours in a day, especially with the heavy academic year I’m currently in. I often rely on music to relax me too but the less resting I do the better.

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

“If I’m not dead, I’m not finished ”

Q: What is your favourite Bible / Scripture quote?

Psalm 86:12

I will give thanks to you O my lord God, with all my heart, and will glorify your name forever.

Q: What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

My biggest challenge is lack of time. There’s so much to be done and such little time. E.g. Time to train, recover, get enough sleep, do school work but I’ve learned to prioritize and take things as they come. I’ve never been a type A personality so I don’t really have stress issues luckily.

Q: In your opinion, how do you define success in life?

I think ultimate success is only definable when reflecting. If you look back to your declarations for the year and you see that you’ve ticked most of your boxes or have done things that satisfy you, you are a successful individual

Q: What’s your WHY ? Why do you do what you do? Also, looking into the future, what type of influence do you see yourself having on SA’s and our continent’s youth?

I do what I do because I have a dream, a passion rather. Every day, in one way or another, I work to eliminate mediocrity from the things I value in my life, Netball being at the top of my list. I’m driven to achieve my personal bests in my game because I am my biggest competition. My dream is to be a great asset to any netball team I play in and in the very near future, WHEN I serve on the South African Netball team, I want to show the ones coming after me that a dream isn’t planted within you randomly but because you have a duty to fulfill it , no matter how many weekends you have to sit out of the social scene. I want to set the example that no matter what motivates you or pressurize you to succeed; you cannot fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other people because it’s detrimental to yourself in very many ways. I hope I can inspire the youth of our continent to believe in their capabilities to achieve their goals no matter how much they may lack in the resources.

I am most grateful for the role God plays in my life, through the people he put in it, the opportunities that he makes available to me and the promises that he makes for my future.

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!

Home Proudly South African Sports Swimming

Fresh & Hungry: Martin Christian Johann Binedell

March 2, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Martin Binedell is really a young swimming star to watch out for. Stable, dedicated, and wise, and on top of being a multiple gold medallist he is a great academic too, having passed matric with 6 distinctions! He has this to say “I love swimming, I love being in the water, I love pushing my body to its breaking point and the feeling you get after doing so. I’d like to give back to a sport that has already giving me so much, to inspire the next generation of South African swimmers to strive for greatness, both in and out the sports arena”.

Athlete: Bio / Stats
Name & Surname	Martin Christian Johann Binedell
Nick Name	Maat1
Date of birth	30 July 1995
Place of birth	Pietermaritzburg, KZN
Current City	Westville, KZN
Height	186cm
Weight	86kg
Shoe Size	11/12
Club	Seagulls Swimming Club
Coach’s Name	Graham Hill
Out of Country events/ meets	World Student Games Gwangju South Korea, All African Games Congo,go,African Games Congo, Korea, World Cup Swim Series Doha and Dubai
Favorite City	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Favorite Song/ type of music	I love all genres and styles of music, if I had to pick one then Deep House
Favorite Movie	Focus, Will Smith
Tertiary Inst Name/ Year	Varsity College
Tertiary degree/ diploma	Bcom Marketing
Sponsors	Speedo, CytoSport
Twitter Instagram Facebook	@martinbinedell martin1binedell Martin Christian Johann Binedell
Parents Names, siblings	Parents: Johan and Marlene Binedell Sister: Larah Binedell

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are one of SA’s top athletes, passionate and doing so well in your Swimming tell me a little bit about how you started in swimming and your journey in the swimming arena up to now?

I started swimming when I was 11 for the simple reason of losing weight. I only started performing in high school and when I was 16, broke the SA age group record for 200 backstroke. Although my swimming took a dip in matric, I’ve found my rhythm and stroke again.

Q: Who are you?

I see myself as a very laid back kind of guy, I’m at my happiest when I’m surrounded by friends and family. I believe you should treat others the way you expect others to treat you.

Q: What is the highest accolade that you have achieved in Swimming and what is your greatest personal accomplishment?

My highest swimming achievements are winning gold at SA Nationals, African Games and SA Short course in 2015. My highest personal achievements are those attained at high school, 1^st team Waterpolo, swimming Capt and getting 6 A’s in Matric.

Q: You competed and did so well at the African Games in Brazzaville last year – Congrats! How did you experience that?

Thank you, African Games, much like my experiences with zone 6 and AUSC games, were a reminder of how far South Africa has come in terms of sporting excellence. When compared to nations like Congo and Zambia you tend to appreciate home, although I must commend Congo on their infrastructure, something about the semi transparent aquatic centre with an open African sun and surroundings made for an awesome atmosphere.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of Education in a young person’s life?

Education is vital, I grew up with the philosophy of a healthy body isn’t complete without a healthy mind. A lot of athletes forget there is a life after sport and the beauty of sport is that it opens doors, weather they lead to a better education or the opportunity of travelling.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey?

I believe everything happens for a reason, when I was young, I almost drowned on a family outing to the dam which forced my parents to take me to swimming lessons, I always found that ironic but throughout my swimming career, all the major turning points were lead by a seemingly negative or (at the time) a setback but that to me just proves that, not only were those setbacks part of Gods plan for me, they were his way of molding me into the person I am today

Q: What do you do to relax?

Music, or a game of Fifa

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve- Napoleon Hill

Q: What is your favourite Bible quote?

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Q: What is your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge at the moment is recovering from a fractured elbow. All I can do is rest and focus on strengthening both my legs, and my faith.

Q: In your opinion, how do you define success in life / how do you define a successful person?

I define success by happiness, health, good faith and personal satisfaction. A successful person is someone who is confident in his/her abilities and aspirations but focused in attaining them.

Q: What is your message of encouragement to South African and African youth and our nation?

My message would be, forget about the things in life you can’t control and focus on the thing you can, work hard, be humble and leave the rest to God, because everything happens for a reason

Q: Plans and upcoming major meets before Rio?

For now my main focus recovering and building up momentum before Olympic trials (Nationals) in April, through some more solid training and a decent meet in Stellenbosch

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

Just to say thank you for this opportunity and to also thank everyone that has helped me through this journey thus far, my family and coaches, also my sponsors Speedo SA and Cytosport. Lastly to Varsity College.

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!

Home Interviews Olympics 2016 Rio Proudly South African Sports Swimming

Up-Close with Lehesta Kemp

February 27, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Lehesta Kemp, SA Swimming stalwart and true champion opens her heart to us today. Words of wisdom not only for sports but for life she shares. Lehesta clearly shows again that our country’s wealth should indeed not only be solely measured in commodities and economies but also in the commitment of its citizens to help, uplift, encourage and motivate one another to go higher and do better in life. She is determined, focused mentally tough. She is also a great mentor to our youth, and one with a very open heart and hand. We wish this special athlete all the best for her future as she pursues her dreams in and out of the water. All the best on your Road to Rio, she is currently at the Stellenbosch Swimming Grand Prix.

Athlete Stats
Name and surname	Lehesta Kemp
DOB	20 March 1990
POB	Hartswater Northern Cape
Current city	Pretoria Gauteng
Height	1.83m
Weight	64kg
Shoe size	7
Club	Players Swim Club
Coach	Grant Kritzinger
Recent out country events	World Cup Dubai and Doha 2014 World championships Doha 2014 Dutch Short Course Nationals 2015
Favorite city	Venice Italy
Favorite movie	The Lion King
Degree	LLB and currently busy with Bachelor of Accounting Sciences in Financial Accounting
Inst name	Varsity College
Sponsors	Sonkor Manufacturers
Facebook Instagram Twitter	Lehesta Kemp Lehestak @lehestak
Community project	Water safety course for the rangers and residents of Skukuza
Parents and sibling	Gerrie, Estelle and Tiaan Kemp (brother)

Q: You are one of SA’s top female athletes, admired by many, passionate and doing so well in your Swimming tell me a little bit about how you started in swimming and your journey in the swimming arena up to now?

Since I can remember I loved the water from taking chances jumping in the deep end to seeing how long I can hold my breath for it was always a battle to get me out the pool. My parents then thought it might be a good idea to start swimming lessons. I started with, my then coach, Linda Mullin who taught me all the basics. My talents got noticed by Rocco Meiring and they offered me full scholarship at the H.P.C to swim under Sandor Ban. I am currently swimming for Grant Kritzinger who brings out the best of me on a daily basis. My love for the sport grows day by day.

Q: Who are you?

The 3 words that describes me best is probably adventurous, driven and self-confident. I have always been one for excitement, exploring the unknown fascinates me and besides, what better way to make memories. But when it comes down to the grind, whether in sport or work, I put in everything. I turn on my laser like focus and feed the hunger inside. I take charge, because I know one day it will all be worth it. This brings me to the last point, self-confidence, I trust myself. It’s as simple as that. And when you have that unshakeable trust in yourself, you’re already one step closer to success.

Q: What is the highest accolade you have received in swimming and what is your personal greatest accomplishment?

The highest accolade that I have achieved was to represent my country at the World Championships in Turkey and Doha. My greatest personal accomplishment was qualifying for World Championships, the thrill that run down your spine when you see that you have just made it, is indescribable.

Q: Not surprisingly you are also involved in your community, striving towards the upliftment of young female athletes – and mentoring the young Taneal Baptiste. This is wonderful. What would you like to see as the outcome of this journey? / your motto om mentorship?

I have so many great mentors in my life, from my parents to my big brother to amazing friends. They always have a hand reaching out when I have stumbled and fallen, or an ear to listen when I want to blow off steam or even a big fat hug when I need it most. All I ever wanted was to be that person to someone. Help them and lead them when they need it most. Taneal is such an amazing girl with great potential and I’m so happy that I can help her in becoming the best she can be. ~Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction. John C Crosby ~

Q: Explain your career, and how do you balance it with being a professional swimmer?

I study Bachelor of Accounting Sciences in Financial Accounting and also help with the coaching at Players Swim Club. I feel that I need to put back into the sport that I love. Help youngsters find their passion. Between working, studying and training it can become quite challenging, but I find that when you love what you do, you make a plan, because at the end of the day I’m doing it for me.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey and how it has affected your life / sports?

I am blessed to have been raised in a good Christian home. From a young age my parents taught me how to talk and have a relationship with the Lord. They told me that everything we do in life is in honour of His name. I now walk hand in hand with Him. I pray for guidance every day. I pray for help, and there are times when I’m not happy with the outcome, but at the end of the day I still thank Him, because I might not see it yet, but He’s got bigger plans for me.

Q: What do you do to relax?

I enjoy relaxing and spending time with my friends, or even staying in watching a movie on a cold rainy day, but the best way for me to unwind after a tough week is to go hiking up a mountain with my pooch or getting in a kayak and paddling out. Getting lost in nature and away from the rushed city life. There is nothing quite as peaceful.

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

Walk in like Goliath and fight like David!

Q: What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

Keeping balance. While we all crave more free time we often get so caught up in our everyday life. Always postponing or even cancelling plans. You lose track of time and before you know it you and your best friend have become strangers or you only see your family once or twice a year. I really try put in the effort to not neglect them. Give them a call once in a while or surprise them with a weekend visit. Family is what keeps you sane. They are the ones who make your journey worthwhile and without them the road can become quite lonely.

Q: When an athlete hits some “hard / difficult patch in their sports career, what goes through your mind at that time? What advice can you give other young athletes in this regard?

When you get hit with a difficult patch it really knocks you down. You lose hope, especially if it’s one knock after the other. Trust me I know. But I have come to realise that it’s all lessons, it’s stepping stones. We need that temporary, but necessary detour, so we can find our strengths. My advice is to never lose hope, get up with your head held high and show them what you’re made of!

Q: How do you define success in life / how do you define a successful person?

Success is peace of mind, in which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.

Q: What’s your WHY ?

Passion is what drives me and empowers me to be the best I can be. It makes me wake up excited every morning. I want to encourage the youth and help them find their passion or their “why”. I want to lead by example. I want to inspire them to push themselves to higher levels so that they leave a lasting impact.

Q: What is your message of encouragement to South African and African youth and our nation?

You have to fight some hard battles to earn the best days of your life. So keep your head up and always believe in yourself.

Q: Plans for 2016? and upcoming major meets before Rio?

We going full steam ahead for Rio.

Preparation meets:

Grand prix in Cape Town

Dual meet Johannesburg

SA Trials Durban

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!

Home Interviews Olympics 2016 Rio Proudly South African Sports Swimming Tuks Swimming

Olympic Hopes: Hendrik van der Merwe

February 17, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

A man strong on gratefulness is one that has his foundations in life firmly laid for success, and one thing that always comes strongly to the front with Hendrik is his grateful heart. With Rio Paralympic Games now only about 200 days away the excitement builds, not only within the supporters like me :-), but especially with athletes. Today I catch up with Coach Hendrik van der Merwe. A great Olympian, true athlete, and a man who does not shy away from long hours and hard work. One who personally knows the “grind”, with a deep passion and dedication to see his young athletes that he coaches progress to the top. Hendrik – is a true hero to many young swimmers!Hendrik is also proudly brand ambassador for brilliant sports nutrition brand – Whasp Nutrition.

2015 in review?

I have a few highlights from 2015. I think the first would be in April at Senior Nationals in Durban: I got very ill a few weeks before nationals, I was on strong antibiotics came nationals, long story short, I still managed to qualify for IPC world championships held in Scotland and medal in the 50 and 100m breaststroke events as well as breaking an African relay record, with team mates Kevin Paul, Achmat Hassiem, and James Bezuidenhout.

My second highlight would be the year end time period. I got very ill at World Champs in Glasgow. I picked up asthma there and was sick for about 8 weeks. I started racing some age group galas again and then raced NTS and CGA champs. I hit times that I haven’t seen in a while and won the 100m breast at CGA champs.

The third highlight was seeing all my kids hard work pay off at the Mayoral Gala and NTS champs. A lot of blood sweat and tears was put in from the swimmers and coach.

The forth was signing a contract and becoming brand ambassador for Whasp Nutrition.

Life is like an onion: always challenge yourself to peel away the older layers, to find fresher and stronger layers.

Sports plans for 2016?

The plan for this year will be what it will be and always have been: Consistent hard work along with continuous mind shifts; this is the way forward, encountering problems and finding solutions. Levels are coming up for the kids, and Olympic trails are also around the corner in April.

What are you most looking forward to for this year 2016?

I am looking forward to trails at Senior Nationals (I love the atmosphere when it is an Olympic year), and I am also looking forward to the development of my swimmers. Of course there is Rio Paralympics but I will still have to qualify for that.

What is your biggest motivation at the moment?

If you stop to throw rocks at every dog that barks at you, then you will never reach your destination – Winston Churchill. Qualifying for Rio Paralympics is my motivation, and my swimmers performing to the best of their abilities.

What is your biggest challenge at the moment?

Time, I think time is, because I have to balance coaching, full time training and meal prep.

What are your upcoming events where your fans can follow and support you?

Nedbank champs 22 March

Senior nationals (Olympic trails) 11 April Durban

Follow me on instagram: @legs2323, to stay posted as well.

Contact Details Whasp Nutrition

Please follow them on Social Media:

www.whasp.co.za

Facebook Here:

Mobile no: +72 83 334 1935

Email: info@whasp.co.za

Fresh & Hungry: Zane Waddell

February 13, 2016 Published by: Cresi Heslop

Today meet fresh, hungry and very dedicated young champion swimmer, Zane Waddell. A young man with a deep passion and drive not only to succeed in sports, but also to impact and make a difference in the world through his sports. His faith in is Lord Jesus is an anchor in his life. He is also a firm believer in the value of education, and is on his way to go and be a young leader and influencer at the University of Alabama in the USA, this August. He says “I see myself as a dedicated, no hassle person. I am a very easy person and I get work done”. We would like to wish him all the very best for the new chapter and journey ahead – once again a fine and very proudly South African “export” on the move.

Athlete: Bio / Stats
*Name & Surname*	Zane Waddell
*Nick Name*	Zane
*Date of birth*	18/03/98
*Place of birth*	Margate, KZN
*Current City*	Bloemfontein
*Height*	192cm
*Weight*	82kgs
*Shoe Size*	12.5
*Club*	Bloemfontein Seals
*Coach’s Name*	Simon Gray
*Out of Country events*	Youth Commonwealth Games, Youth African zone 5 games.
*Secondary Sports*	None
*Favorite City*	Auckland, New Zealand
*Favorite Song/ type of music*	Come with me now – Kongos. I listen to all types of music, i.e. Jazz, Blues, Classical
*Favorite Movie*
*School & Grade*	Grey College, Done with school
*Tertiary Inst Name/ Year*	University of Alabama / 2016
*Instagram, Facebook*	Instagram – zanewaddell1998 Facebook – Zane Waddell
*Parents Names, siblings*	Mom – Nadine, Father – Albert, Sister – Amber

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are passionate and doing so well in your swimming tell me a little bit about how you started in swimming and your journey in the swimming arena up to now?

I initially started swimming just to become water safe and then everything progressed from there, but it was only in grade 8 that I realized that I could be good at this.

Q: What is the highest accolade that you have achieved in swimming and what is your greatest personal accomplishment?

My highest accolade would definitely have to be my gold medals at the Youth Commonwealth Games, that would also be my greatest personal accomplishment.

Q: You did brilliantly last year at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa, Congrats! How did you experience that? General observations? Lessons learned?

It was an amazing experience to race against some of the best swimmers in the world. One thing I noticed is that South Africans seem rougher than the other nations which is a good thing. I learnt to always keep my head on my shoulders and that swimming at that level is 90% mental.

Q: I believe you will be joining the University of Alabama this year. Do you want to share a little about these plans?

Yes, I have committed to going to the University of Alabama, to go and swim with the Crimson Tide. I will be leaving August 2016.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of Education in a young person’s life?

I have been brought up, getting taught that you always have to have a plan B. So my degree will act as my plan B in the case that I get a career ending injury.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey and how it has affected your life / sports?

Being a Christian has been a roller coaster ride for me, but having recently moved to CRC I think I have found my match and I am absolutely loving it. I could never have done any of this without Christ my Lord.

Q: What do you do to relax?

I play computer games such as, Dota 2, Ark : Survival evolved and the forest.

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

Seize the day, by the throat.

Q: What is your favourite Bible Scripture?

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Q: What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

My biggest challenge would be staying focused, because I have a busy mind. I’m not quite sure how I manage this.

Q: In your opinion, how do you define success in life / how do you define a successful person?

Success is determined by the amount of good you have done, not by the amount of goods you have.

Q: What’s your WHY?

I do this because I love it and I honour God through using the talents he has blessed me with. I want to be able to do good and change lives through my swimming.

Q: What is your message of encouragement to our youth in SA and globally?

Keep grinding the grind, nothing comes easy to anyone, IT IS TOUGH.

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!

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