Weltevreden Park champ is born to swim
Leigh is the current 5km and 7,5km National Open Water Champion and won a bronze medal in the 10km and 5km Inter-Continental Championship 2019.
Swimming is often seen as a good all-round activity and a great workout because of the the whole body moving against the resistance of the water.
The 16-year-old swimming sensation, Leigh McMorran from Weltevreden Park is a master when it comes to the natural flotation and propulsion of the body through water.
The Northcliff High School learner has set the tone for what’s to come in the short season ahead when she won the 1km and 3km events at the inaugural AG Grand Prix held at Florida Lake in December.
She swims for Aqua Athlete Swimming and trains in 11 sessions a week under coach Adrian Goate who is the current Open Water National Elite and Elite Youth coach.
When the Northsider asked Leigh how the current Covid-19 regulations were affecting her training, she did not hesitate to reveal that she wasn’t able to train in a 25m pool, which meant she was not able to do tumble turns.
“It was difficult to stay motivated because I missed my swimming friends who always suffered with me through the hard sets, and made jokes to make it better.
“It was emotionally draining to train outside in the winter in a cold pool. I have worked for many years to get to the level of qualifying for the Junior World Championships, which were supposed to happen in August 2020, and I was disappointed I wasn’t able to go.
“My coach came up with the idea of using bands to swim in my pool at home, which fortunately allowed me to carry on with my training so that I didn’t lose my fitness.
“My stroke, however, was negatively affected. Adrian set up dry land Zoom sessions which really helped to build my strength, improve my swimming and overall body recovery,“ said Leigh.
She is the current 5km and 7,5km National Open Water Champion and won a bronze medal in the 10km and 5km Inter-Continental Championships 2019.
She has won various international championship and admitted that originally her mother wanted her to swim so that she wouldn’t drown.
“I started swimming at the age of four because I loved the feeling of water on my skin – and I can’t see my life without swimming as a part of it,” explained Leigh.
