Meet the Young Athletes: Kaitlyn Albertyn

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Kaitlyn Albertyn is a mere 15 years old this year, and I was deeply inspired by her wisdom, insight and vision for the future. She has had her fair share of hardship in her young swimming career, and yet has managed to withstand and rise up again, put back her costume and goggles right back on and succeed brilliantly at this year’s Junior National Championships.

There is real girl power coming through in her brilliant interview below, this truly gives hope and expectation for SA’s swimmers. When young women step into their rightful place in sport and society, it is indeed a stunning thing to behold, and Kaitlyn is definaltely moving in this direction. I love the fact that she does not shy away from the word ambition.

She says “ I am a girl with a love for swimming. I am a person who believes in the power of your mind and that positivity is the key to success. I am hard working, determined and ambitious. I am someone who believes that goals should be scary and that there is nothing wrong with striving to be the best you can be. I believe that luck doesn’t exist and that you get nowhere without work and dedication”.

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 have swum for as long as I can remember. For most of my primary school years I swam for fun and was never really serious about it. When I was about eleven, I fell in love with swimming. I fell in love with the feel of the water on my skin. I fell in love with the atmosphere and vibes at galas. I fell in love with everything about it. For the next few years I swam more seriously and started getting better, until a few weeks after my thirteenth birthday when my entire world came crashing down. As dramatic as it sounds, that is what swimming had become- my world. So when the doctor told me I couldn’t swim because of a shoulder injury, I was devastated. I was a swimmer told not to swim and it was one of the hardest times of my life. After a long seven months and two weeks, I was finally able to swim again. Now being back in the water for a little under a year, I cannot be happier to be swimming again.

Q: Who are you? Describe yourself as a person.

I am a girl with a love for swimming. I am a person who believes in the power of your mind and that positivity is the key to success. I am hard working, determined and ambitious. I am someone who believes that goals should be scary and that there is nothing wrong with striving to be the best you can be. I believe that luck doesn’t exist and that you get nowhere without work and dedication.

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

My highest accolade, and probably my greatest personal achievement, would be going to Junior National 2017 and qualifying for Youth Nationals. While that might not be big for some, to me it shows all the progress I have made and all the things I have endured to be able to swim again after my shoulder injury.

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

I always try to remember when swimming that God is the reason I am able to. He has given me a healthy body and the talent to do what I do and I owe it all to Him.

Q: What do you do to relax?

To relax I like to hang out with friends and see my family. I also enjoy listening to music and absolutely love to read. I like to bake and to cook as well.

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

I believe that knowledge is power and that you can never stop learning. I think it is so important to remember how vital education is in a person’s life. As much as we hate to admit it, we can’t swim forever and it is important that we have good education so we are able to go places. School teaches you so much. Not just facts and subjects but also life lessons. It teaches us time management and social interaction and persistence and resilience. These are things that not only benefit us in life, but also in swimming.

Q: So you swim well and are doing well in academics but name 1 thing that you suck at J

I suck at dancing and singing and just about anything musical.

Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

It’s a mental game. Your body is screaming at you. It comes down to who can ignore it the longest.”

Q: What is your favourite Bible / Scripture quote?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11.

Q: What’s your WHY ?  

I swim for that ache in your muscles and that burn in your lungs. I swim for that rush of endorphins and for that pure, unrelenting joy. I swim for the friends you make and the lessons you learn. I swim for that moment you hit the wall and look up at the scoreboard. I swim for myself.

I hope to influence the youth to strive for bravery, because in my opinion, that is a truly great person. But you cannot just be brave; you also have to be positive. You can do nothing unless you believe you can. I also hope to influence them to remember that competition is healthy, but it is also very important to build relationships with the swimmers around you. They are the ones who understand what you are going through, they have been there themselves.

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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