The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
ENCOURAGED by a series of impressive results in the pool by his daughter and son, Bulawayo businessman Siqokoqela Mphoko is converting his family’s swimming pool into a 10 lane facility that will nurture his children’s desire to swim at the Olympics.
Senamile, the elder of Mphoko’s two children, had a good show at the Zimbabwe Senior Swimming Championships that ended on Tuesday in Harare. She says she was inspired by the exploits of Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry and dreams of emulating her feats.
“I was inspired by Kirsty. She is my heroine. I want to swim at the African Championships, All-Africa Games, World Championships and of course at the Olympics. I am only 13 chasing 14 and I am dreaming big, I want to win gold at the highest level,” said Senamile.
The late Edward Cyprianos
Senamile won gold in 200 and 400m individual medley events and added bronze in the 50 and 100m butterfly stroke and silver in the 1 500m freestyle. But of her victories in Harare, the biggest was the 400m individual medley in which she was presented her gold by the legendary Rugby World Cup winner, Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira.
“Greatness stands next to me, I am going to be great,” is what went through the girl’s mind as she received her gold.
Senamile described it as a career high that she will cherish for a long time. She said meeting Mtawarira had motivated her more to want to be a world beater.
“I kinda felt overwhelmed receiving a medal from a World Champion. I was excited,” she said about her crowning week.
She lost three weeks of her early season after contracting chicken pox and that is what has driven her father Siqokoqela to have the urge to want to turn the family swimming pool into a 10-lane, 25m long pool that will have heating. This will allow swimming to go all year round for the kids. Her brother, Shane Siqokoqela “The Second”, did not disappoint as well.
He went on a school trip to England in July and returned in August after three weeks. His teammates had already started preparing for the 2023/24 season. On his return he contracted chicken pox which meant he was out of the pool for a month while recuperating. Shane started swimming at the age of three just like his sister.
“My role model has been my sister,” said Shane.
In Harare Shane did not disappoint with a medal haul of six, good enough to leave his mother Nomagugu and dad on a high, rekindling what the couple always said they wanted to do for their two precious jewels.
He had a silver medal in the 400m individual medley, bronze in the in the 100m freestyle, 50m breaststroke bronze, 100m flystroke, 200 individual medley silver and 50m butterfly stroke silver.
“They learnt from the best in the pool, the Cyprianos boys Andy, Denhilson and Brendon. They have had amazing coaches right from their school days when they started at SOS before moving to Whitestone. The sky is the limit and we will not stop supporting them until they reach the top. They are motivated by legends like Michael Phelps and our own Minister Kirsy Coventry and you should not be surprised that the girl likes the individual medley events Kirsty was brilliant in. They both like swimming and are dreaming big,” said Siqokoqela.
He said he is working on getting the family pool done to a level that will aid their development. He is in the process of bringing down a pizza oven, braai pit and entertainment centre.
“I have said look to Nomagugu, if the kids are to go far, let us invest in an Olympic size 10-lane pool that will be heated and will offer the best training for our kids and those from the neighbourhood. We have started stripping our entertainment centre in order to add more lanes to those that are there. We have seen that all the kids who succeed in the sport, it boils down to support they get from their families. We will not rest until they have reached Olympic qualifying status and when they leave for abroad, we will open the pool to the community’s children to train at and be future champions,” said Siqokoqela.
Nomagugu said with God’s guidance her children are improving by day and she is happy with the progress they have made and the many medals. The two kids counted 125 medals that are hung on the neck and they are over 20 trophies and shields from their collection from school, provincial and national championships.
“One hundred and twenty five medals, we are still counting,” was what Senamile said when she threw the last of the silverware into a box on the count of 125 medals between her and brother Shane.
Siqokoqela praised the late Edward Cyprianos for good work on his swimming crazy children.
“The late Eddy did a lot for them at Stingrays Club taking over from Megan Nesbert who started off with them at SOS. Crusaders’ Wayne deSwart and Jenine Wynguard has been fantastic too, they have worked hard with the kids.”
Seeing that the conventional school programme takes a large chunk of the training programme towards podium performance goals, the Mphokos have switched the children to home schooling.
“They have tutors that educate them at a convenient pace and time to their swimming development. School is not affected by swimming. We are serious about the super athlete pathway we have chosen for our children and we have noted with Senamile that in terms of curriculum coverage with her tutors, she is ahead of schedule when compared to her peers and at 13 chasing 14, she is already in her third year of secondary school,” said Siqokoqela.
Senamile described the education path they chose as convenient and effective. Her brother Shane is 12 and is already doing his first year of secondary school.
Personal
milestone
Shane
200m freestyle 2 minutes 33.33 seconds, 400m individual medley 6 minutes 12.98 seconds, 200 individidual 2 minutes 50.7 seconds, 400m freestyle 5 minutes 30.97 seconds, 100m flystroke 1 minutes 21.39 seconds, 100m freestyle 01 minute 08.00 seconds
Senamile
400 individual medley 6 minutes 17.11 seconds, 100m freestyle one minute 09.88 seconds, 200 individual medley 2 minutes 53.16 seconds, 100m flystroke 1 minute 17.50 seconds and 50m freestyle 30.96 seconds.
