Retief Esterhuysen, a swimmer of the NWU Junior Swimming Club and Gr. 10 learner of Ferdinand Postma High School, has been selected for the National Open Water Junior Youth Squad. He is one of only three swimmers from North West selected for this team.

Retief has been a keen swimmer since the age of eight and has obtained provincial colours in swimming for the past four years in succession. His favourite stroke is butterfly and he qualified for the South African Youth Nationals in the 200 m event – a challenging item not to be approached by the faint-hearted.

Retief started broadening his swimming horizons in 2019 when he tackled open water swimming too. He easily qualified for the 2020 SSA National Open Water Swimming Championships (Marina Martinique – Jeffreys Bay, March 2020), where he achieved a fifth place in his age category in the three- kilometre race.

Retief is very excited about his selection for the National Junior Squad. He will get an opportunity to attend training camps and be part of the talent pool being developed by Swimming South Africa for events like the 2021 Olympic Games and FINA World Swimming Championships, the Cana Junior Championships, the 2023 FINA World Champ- ionships and 2024 Olympic Games.

The NWU Junior Swimming Club is very proud of this dedicated young swimmer in their midst.