Curro Rivonia swimmer gears up for national swimming championships
Curro Rivonia’s Camryn Jones is preparing to represent his school at the 2026 South African National Swimming Championships, facing all the pressure and training that comes with that.
While many elite swimmers dive into competitive pools before their teenage years, Camryn Jones swimming journey began much later, and that is what makes it remarkable.
The 18-year-old from Curro Rivonia will line up at the 2026 South African National Swimming Championships, taking place in Gqeberha from March 18 to 20, representing both his school and his swimming club, the Sandton Seals, in the youth category. “At first, I never saw swimming as more than a school sport. I only started swimming competitively at the age of 15, when I was asked to represent my school at the school’s competition, but now I have realised it helps with developing discipline and grit as you train even on your bad days.”
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That mindset has carried him through what he refers to as hell month, an intense training block leading to the big competition. “Training for a big gala, such as nationals, is not as easy as when we are training for school’s competitions. Most swimmers call this one a hell month, because it is a month of training that utilises lactate swimming, aerobics, and anaerobic swimming sets.”
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Balancing the demands of school, high performance training, and everyday life has been no small task for Camryn, especially in his final year of school. “Time management, a coach who understands where I come from, and constant motivation and words of assurance from my family push me to aim higher, both in sport and academically. Teachers also play a big role in helping, as they are able to work around my busy schedule and understand the pressure I’m under.”
With the pressure that comes with high level competition, Camryn listens to music and talks to his competitors to calm his nerves before and during the competition.
Going to the championships, Camryn’s goals are to smash his personal best and make it to the senior nationals in the next season. “I want to smash my personal bests at the upcoming national championships, and, hopefully, qualify for senior nationals in the next swimming season.
“In the next five years, I am hoping to see myself as a seasoned swimmer, representing South Africa on the national stage. With the next few years being focused solely on university and swimming, I think it’s possible.”
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