For a young, eight-year-old swimmer who grew up surrounded by water since he was one year old, the pool has become both his battleground and the source of his success, driving his dream to one day become a top swimmer.
This is the story of Benedict Chinkoti, one of the star performers at the Bank Windhoek Long Course held on 25th January at the Olympia Swimming Pool in Windhoek.
Chinkoti’s name might not be familiar to many Namibians who follow swimming, but the young lad demonstrated at the Bank Windhoek Long Course that he has what it takes to become a household name in the sport.
At the event, Chinkoti won two events: the boys’ 50-meter race and the boys’ 200-meter Individual Medley (IM). He also achieved a third-place finish in the boys’ 50-meter butterfly and a fourth-place finish in the boys’ 50-meter freestyle.
“I started swimming when I was one year old,” Chinkoti explained. “Training can be hard, but swimming is a great sport. I love being in the water. My mom took us (him and his brother) for swimming lessons because she wanted us to be safe around water. As we got older, we started loving the water more and more. We went through all levels of ‘learn to swim’ programs until we reached the competitive level. Swimming is fun. It is a safe sport, and you get to swim and compete in different strokes.”
“Breaststroke is my favourite stroke, particularly the 50m, 100m, and 200m,” he added. “I also love open water competitions like the Jetty Mile and Lake Oanob sprints.”
Following his impressive performance at the Bank Windhoek Long Course, Chinkoti has earned a place at the upcoming Level 2 swimming competition, scheduled for March 27th to 30th in Johannesburg.
“I am currently homeschooled and work at my own pace,” Chinkoti said. “Mom teaches us Singapore Mathematics, and then we go online. I am in grade five.”