MBABANE – A legendary figure in South African aquatics has capacitated local swimmers in an effort to elevate the standard of the sport in the country.
Penelope ‘Penny’ Heyns, who is a decorated icon of the sport, arrived on Thursday to lead a two-day workshop which commenced the following day and concluded on Saturday. The arrival of the double Olympic gold medallist and Olympic bronze medallist was officially announced by the Eswatini Swimming Association (ESA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nozipho Mahlalela.
In the day one sessions, she focused on the technical mechanics of the breaststroke and butterfly, utilising a combination of theoretical discussions, video reviews and water workouts.
On the final day, the 14-time world record holder capacitated swimmers in the backstroke and freestyle disciplines.
“She is currently working with various clubs and national federations around the globe to help improve aquatic sports,” said the CEO, noting that the camp was funded by the association.
The sessions were hosted at Enjabulweni School, with daily programmes running from 9am until 3pm. ESA has appreciated the camp and its outcome as it targeted swimmers who have qualified for the 2026 National Championships to be held at the end of February and beginning of March.
“Having an Olympic medallist in their midst has motivated our athletes to perform better and set higher standards for their performance. We look forward to an amazing performance at our National Championships,’’ Mahlalela said.
‘Penny’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest breaststroke swimmers in history. She famously became the only woman in Olympic history to win both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at the same Olympic Games, achieving the feat at the 1996 Atlanta Games. After a glittering career that included breaking 14 individual world records, she retired from professional swimming in 2001. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2007.
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