St Teresa’s School Rosebank is proud of its learner, Aimee van der Merwe, who achieved exceptional results recently at the South African National Junior Aquatics Championships.

The Grade 8 swimmer qualified for four finals, placing 8th in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events and 9th in the 200m Freestyle, ranking among the top swimmers in the country.

She also achieved four personal bests across her events, including an impressive swim in the 50m butterfly.

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Speaking to the publication on April 1, Aimee said, “This year was a good swimming year for me; I enjoyed it. I recorded good personal bests.”

She noted that although she trained tirelessly, six days a week, the results she obtained were unexpected.

The swimmer explained that her water hobby began in Grade 1, “I really enjoyed the sport. My coach noticed that I had a hidden talent, which I have since not abandoned.”

Her accolades include recording good times at the Eastern Gauteng Aquatics and receiving the Victrix Ludorum, a prestigious title awarded to the top female swimmer.

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Continuing her success, Aimee also competed in the SA National Open Water Championships in Jeffreys Bay.

She contributed to a bronze medal finish in the 1km relay as part of the Junior Central Gauteng team. She secured a good 11th place in the 3km individual event in her age category, achieving a remarkable personal best by three minutes.

The 14-year-old concluded that she aspired to swim professionally for the country, “One of the swimmers I look up to is Summer McIntosh; she’s inspirational and achieved so many good accolades at a young age.”

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