Everyone has a “happy place”, an activity or a place where they can be themselves and clear their mind.

For the 19-year-old Liam Vehbi, it is Tuks’s swimming pool. Most mornings and afternoons, you will find him swimming length after length for an hour or so, pushing himself to be faster and better. To someone not familiar with swimming, it might seem monotonous. But it is not for Vehbi.

“Swimming is, for me, an escape. I find peace when I am in the water. Especially if I had a bad day at the university and am full of frustration. When I dive in, I take it out on the water, pushing myself to my limits. Swimming is a way to connect with my inner self,” he explained during a recent interview.

His dedication is paying dividends. He starred for the Tuks team during the recent USSA Swimming Champs in Gqeberha. His heroics helped Tuks to win overall.

Vehbi won the 200m and 400m individual medley events and the 200m butterfly, setting two USSA records. But there is no resting on his laurels.

The young swimmer has set himself the challenge of qualifying for next year’s World Swimming Championships in Doha (2-18 February).

“At the moment, the 200m individual medley is my signature event. I feel comfortable swimming 200 metres as it is less taxing on my body. Even if it is a sprint from the start,” he remarked.

Being only 19, Vehbi admits that many hard hours await him in the pool if he wants to genuinely compete in international swimming.

“I only started to compete when I was 13. It is relatively late compared to most of the other swimmers. But I am beginning to catch up and hold my own when competing. During the 2021 African Championships in Ghana, I won a gold, four silvers and one bronze medal. In 2022, I represented South Africa at the World Junior Championships,” he said.

For him it makes sense that his next goal should be to try and qualify for the Senior World Championships.

“My best time in the 200m individual medley is 2:04.92, which is less than a second off the B-qualifying standard. The 400m individual medley is a slightly more formidable challenge. To make the B-qualification standard, I would need to swim three seconds faster than my best time of 4:29.44,” he explained.

Michael Phelps, the most successful and decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals, is a role model.

“Michael Phelps undoubtedly raised the bar for all to come,” he emphasized with admiration in his voice.

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