New starlet Rebecca Meder‚ the 14-year-old grade nine pupil who bagged five titles at last week’s senior national swimming championships‚ hated putting her face in the water as a child.
But not long after following older sister Abigail into the sport‚ Meder won 10 gold medals at her second big gala and that’s when she started dreaming of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I hated water until the age of six‚” said Meder.
“I would not put my face in the water. I hated it‚ I used to scream every time I put my face in the water.”
Her ability was obvious‚ recalls coach Bianca Marais.
“The talent was definitely there‚ she’s just got an amazing feel for the water.”
Rebecca started training in 2011 and by the next year she was winning.
“I was sitting in the car and I was playing with my [10] medals and I said‚ ‘dad‚ I want to go [to the Olympics] one day’. It’s always been a dream of mine to go.”
Adding to her resolve was the fact that Chad Le Clos won his Olympic gold on her birthday in 2012.
For this year‚ however‚ SA’s new champion in the 200m and 400m individual medley and 200m‚ 800m and 1500m freestyle is eyeing the Youth Commonwealth Games in Bahamas in June and the world junior championships in the US in August.
Even national coach Graham Hill is impressed‚ saying he fancies her prospects in the 400m IM.
To make the Olympic team in three years‚ she will have to improve her best in that event by more than five seconds at least‚ but she’s willing to work hard.
“Swimming’s taught me a lot‚ [like] time management‚” said Meder‚ a pupil at Edgemead High School in Cape Town’s northern suburbs where mom Josette is her maths teacher.
“If I have to catch up a week’s work of school I catch it up in two days because I know I have to get back on track.
“I love school‚ I love working hard. I’ll never go into a test unprepared. It’s the same for a race‚ I never do anything half-heartedly‚” she said‚ admitting with a laugh that some school friends call her a “goody two shoes”.
Abigail‚ 21 months older‚ won bronze medals behind Rebecca in the 800m and 1500m freestyle‚ but their coach says the sisters’ close relationship has benefited their swimming.
“They are best friends and they are training partners … I believe the rivalry’s very good and I also believe that if Rebecca wasn’t so good‚ Abigail wouldn’t be so good.
“Rebecca is strong mentally‚ Abigail is strong physically — put the two together and they train like a machine.
“They really feed off one another.”
- TMG Digital
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