Local athlete Shakira January heads to Tokyo

Representation, you must have heard this word being used a lot in recent years. For people of colour, this is more than just a word – it is seeing themselves being represented in spaces they previously did not have the opportunity to be in.

It is encouraging to know that soon, a little girl or boy will be inspired and feel included when they see local girl Shakira January form part of the women’s polo team that will represent the country at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Though she never thought she would participate in the games for water polo, it was one of her dreams to one day be part of the Olympics.

The sportswoman, who will be 19 years old in a few months, has played the sport since she was 14, after having been inspired by her cousins who she’d watch play the sport as it looked fun.
“So when I was offered the opportunity at Rand Park High School, I tried it,” she said.

In earlier years, the sport was a way for her to bond with her school team and coach, Claire Whyte, all while forging friendships in the pool that would last a lifetime. In later years, she was drawn even more to the sport because of the physicality and team work it required to succeed, pushing her to work and train harder to keep up with the team.

Currently in her gap year, she took the year off to enhance her chances of making it into the Olympic team. Her days of late consist of training both in the gym and pool sessions. At the start of the year, she coached water polo at St Stithians Girls’ College and football at the Boys’ Preparatory.

Recently, Shakira was part of the biggest senior water polo tournament in the country, the Currie Cup. “I played for Water Warriors and even with being one of the youngest sides in the tournament, we placed second.”
She added that it was refreshing to be able to play in a tournament after a year of heavy Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Two years ago, she travelled to Madeira Island (Portugal) where she participated in the Fina Junior World Championships.

Her most memorable moment in the sport thus far was her Grade 11 year when she moved schools to St Stithians Girls’ College and being part of their water polo team. “In that year, we played in one of the biggest school tournaments in the country, and we ended up making it to the finals. This was a nerve-wracking and important tournament for the whole team.”
Shakira recalled how it was in the match’s fourth quarter and her coach, Pierre le Roux, called a time-out with 30 seconds left on the clock. At this point, they were ahead on the scoreboard.
“I will never forget his face when he called us in. He had the biggest grin on his face and said, ‘You are absolute champions’ – to see his proud face in that moment, along with the rest of the team, made this one of my most memorable moments.”
For her, this was a special welcome to the team and one that evoked an unforgettable feeling.

The sport, however, has also given her some challenging moments. Not aloof to the fact that not many in the water looked like her, it would be her participation at an international tournament where her differences from others would be used as a tool to break her.
“The tournament, which was meant to build and enhance my water polo career, only broke me to the point where I wanted to quit.”
Thankfully, for the sport’s sake, she has a strong support structure around her which she said helped her realise some people may only just see triumph in her defeat. “They helped me realise that you can’t let people like that define you. I know that this is a challenge I am not facing alone, and I will fight until we overcome this challenge.”
She added that though this might not be the only challenge she faces, it is the most important one.

In her time at the Olympics, Shakira hopes to make her country and continent proud. “I want to learn and grow as a player from playing against the best in the world and to bring that feeling back to South Africa. I hope I manage to inspire young girls to keep pushing themselves, to exceed their own expectations and to never give up dreaming.”