Brendan Levy swims his way to championships in Singapore

Westville Boys’ High School learner, Brendan Levy, has been selected for the fifth FINA World Junior Swimming Championships to be held in Singapore from 25 to 30 August.

Brendan’s love for swimming was sparked when he had Kohler disease on his foot at the age of 10, which made it difficult for him to play contact sports.

“The only thing I could do was swim, I couldn’t play any other sport.”

Since then he has excelled in the sport and has represented KZN Swimming since 2012 at the Senior National Championships and also competed since 2012 in the South African Senior National Short Course Galas.

Brendan was selected by Swimming South Africa in 2013, 2014 and 2015 as a member of their SA National Youth Squad, and for the KZN Elite Athlete Development Programme since 2013.

This year, swimming coach, Graham Hill, invited Brendan to be a member of the Senior South African team at their training camp in Doha.

The young swimmer has many medals under his belt. In 2010 he competed in the annual SA National Age Group Level Three Championships around the country and achieved nine gold, nine silver and ten bronze medals, and in 2013 he travelled to the Irish Age Group and Summer Open Championships and returned with one gold and two silver medals.

Brendan’s mother, Carol Levy, supports her son: “I respect the commitment he has to the sport, the whole family is involved and has a role to play,” she said.

The family had to raise R27 000 to get Brendan to the championships in August. Brendan and his mom would like to thank Westville Boys’ High School for the support they have shown him as he had to juggle his academics and swimming.

He has competed 12 Midmar Miles and looks forward to the championships, also hoping to compete in the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020.