Monica makes strides with strokes

Toti junior swimming sensation, Monica Botha set an amazing eight meet records and scooped eight gold medals and one silver at the KZN level one provincial championships at Kings Park pool at the weekend.

The eight-year-old’s tally included two records in the girls 10-years and under age group.

She also won the girls 10-years and under 200m individual medley.

Monica started swimming when she was six as therapy to ease her asthma.

“I was very tired after setting eight new records and I just wanted to be home to sleep, but I was pleased that I tried my best and grateful for my talents. My parents are very proud of me and it makes me very happy,” said Monica.

At the KZN champs she was not allowed to swim two events – the eight-years and under 100m freestyle and girls 10-years and under 200m freestyle due to level two qualifying times in these events.

At the age of eight, Monica is still encouraged to swim at level 1 under Swimming South Africa’s (SSA) 10-years and under rule.

In the meet’s competition for the top male and female point scorers in the age groups 10-years and under up to 15-years and over, Monica placed third with a total of 106 points for her club.

Her results included gold medals in the girls eight-years and under 50m butterfly and girls 10-years and under 200m individual medley.

Her records for girls eight-years and under were for:

* 50m breaststroke – 49.93 – meet record, gold and personal best (previous record – 50.19).

* 100m backstroke – 1.33.02 – meet record and gold (previous record – 1.46.35).

* 100m butterfly – 3.53.33 – meet record and gold (previous record – 2.00.77).

* 100m breaststroke – 1.47.36 – meet record, gold and personal best (previous record – 1.52.06).

* 50m backstroke – 43.23 – meet record and gold (previous record – 43.58).

* 50m freestyle – 36.57 – meet record and gold (previous record – 37.96).

Her records for girls 10-years and under were for:

* 200m breaststroke – fourth place meet record – 3.46.95 (top four all set new meet records; previous record – 3.51.31).

* 200m backstroke – silver meet record – 3.16.86 (all set new meet records; previous record – 3.33.35).

Last year Monica set three meet records at the champs for 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke.

“My goals for 2016 is to swim qualifying times for the 50m breaststroke and 100m butterfly before the end of March,” said Monica, who still suffers from ashma.

“I would also like to beat asthma by the time I turn 10, so I can breathe better when swimming. My mom says we are doing everything we can to throw away the pump, but the doctors are not happy to do that yet.

I also would like to make more swim friends at the galas. I am used to competing now and it is fun. I love my swim friends from all the clubs, as we meet up every time that there is a big gala and we have lots of laughs and fun. I am inviting some swim friends to my birthday party in March.

I do not feel nervous before a meet and cannot ever remember being nervous. I focus on swimming as fast as I can from one side of the pool to the other and try to swim the strokes correctly. My swim coach and dad says if I swim correctly, I will automatically swim faster. My training is a bit longer now, as the programme has changed. I get wrinkles on my fingers from the water and it is very funny. Some days are harder than others.”

There is no rest for the little swimmer yet, as she competes in the North Durban Swimming Academy gala where she will try to swim the qualifying breaststroke and butterfly times.

She is also hard at work preparing for the SSA level 1 regional championships from 31 March to 3 April, where swimmers from the Free State, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga will compete against KZN swimmers.

At that gala I will swim against the nine and 10-year-olds. By then I will be nine as my birthday is on 6 March.”