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Swagga T
IT is given that sharks belong to water.
Their presence alone is enough to send shivers down the spine of other creatures, aqua or not. That is why warning signs are always placed around areas where sharks infest.
Sorry, this is not meant to scare you, but put in milder terms, this can be used to describe Dylan Huang, the 12-year-old swimming ace who wrote his colourful piece of history after hauling medals in all the races of the Mashonaland Swimming Championships held in Harare recently.
Like the proverbial shark that has no mercy on its prey, Dylan outshone (or should “out-swam” be the right word?) all of his competitors in the races that were on offer, emerging as the star of the day in a performance that could leave world-acclaimed award-winning swimming Olympian Kirsty Coventry taking down notes for reference.
The feat earned Dylan the coveted title of Mashonaland’s fastest swimmer in the 12-year-old category. And comparing him to a shark here is not by coincidence, since he is a member of Sharks Club, where trains everyday for two hours in five days.
An ecstatic but modest Dylan said he was happy that the skills he acquired from his swimming coaches as well as the motivation from his parents and teachers at Sharon School have propelled him to such dizzy heights.
“Its not easy having to do other sports at school,homework and having to go to training sessions but one just have to be disciplined and focused. My mum and dad are my pillars of strength. They are my biggest cheerleaders.
“I wouldn’t be here without support from my teacher at Sharon School Mrs McCormick who noticed my natural ability in swimming.
“This then motivated my parents to send me to Sharks Club where I currently receive training. Many thanks go to my coaches Mrs Debbie Wetzlar, Mrs Cathy Lobb and Mr Simon Mapanda of Sharks Club, he said.
Dylan, who says he is inspired South Africa swimming icon Chad Le Clos, encouraged youngsters of his age to balance both academic work and their extra-curricula passions or hobbies.
“I chose swimming because I love the water, racing and competing. Chad Le Clos of SA is one of my role models. Although I dream of going to the Olympics some day, I, however also nurse this idea of becoming a mechanical engineer but without hanging my swimming costume,” he said.
Ever since his swimming career started at the tender age of 9, the “young shark” to date boasts of 73 medals, 48 of which are gold, 18 silver and seven bronzes. He won five of these in the South Africa’s Regional Level One Age Group Championships.
Born on June 2003, Dylan’s father is Chinese while his mother is Zimbabwean.
He has already started inspiring the other budding “sharks” who are his four siblings in a family of five, to take to the waters and make the “kill”, swimming-wise, that is!
Online Reporter