Swimming teammates take on the world – in Afrikaans

Tatjana Schoenmaker and her Tuks teammate Kaylene Corbett found a novel way to relieve tension before big races on their recent sojourn to the world championships and World Student Games — joking with each other in Afrikaans.

The call room‚ where swimmers gather before walking onto pool deck for each race‚ can be an intimidating and lonely place.

But with Schoenmaker and Corbett swimming the 200m breaststroke together at both galas‚ they were able to break that monotony somewhat‚ cracking a few jokes to each other in Afrikaans and enjoying a couple of laughs while their rivals looked on.

“We obviously don’t have massive conversations‚” said Schoenmaker. “We still try and focus on what we’re there for and what we’re going to be doing.

“It’s always so nice having someone in the call room‚ you’re just not sitting there by yourself. You can turn to the person and have a quick little laugh before you go in.”

Schoenmaker‚ who also competed in the 100m breaststroke‚ had another interesting moment in the call room‚ like watching one rival doing press-ups at the world championships.

“It’s interesting to see what each swimmer does to prepare themselves for what they feel works for them‚” she said‚ but admitted she was surprised by her one competitor doing press-ups.

“I was thinking‚ ‘okay‚ aren’t you making yourself a bit tired?’”

Schoenmaker‚ who won the 100m and 200m titles at the World Student Games in early July‚ became SA’s first woman swimmer to win a world championship medal‚ taking silver in the 200m.

Corbett was eighth in that race.

Schoenmaker finished sixth in the 100m final‚ although the personal best she clocked at the Universiade a couple of weeks earlier would have got her bronze.

But she wasn’t fazed. “Every single race I went into I did my best. I told myself you can only give your best‚ there’s nothing else you can do.

“I was sixth and I was happy. I made the final. I didn’t expect to make the final. I went to world champs for the experience‚ to race the best and see how my nerves are when I do.”

She also went to the opening gala of the World Cup series in Tokyo‚ again winning the double.

Schoenmaker got to see the outside of the Olympic swimming venue‚ which was still being built. But she felt nothing particularly special.

“I’m just excited to be part of Tokyo — if I do go — and to race some of the girls that I already know and then others that I don’t. It’s always a nice challenge when you see new faces. I don’t think anyone expected me to do anything.”

And she’s placing no medal expectations on herself‚ pointing out that she’s not in the top three of the world rankings.

She is fifth in both the 100m and the 200m — and three of those ranked above her in the 200m didn’t swim in the final at the world championships.

“I don’t expect [Olympic] medals. I just aim to do my best in the pool and let God do the rest.”

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