Duo takes to swimming
Lane 5 Swimming club gains momentum
Tshenolo Molemi is always eager to try new things especially when it comes to training concepts. Molemi is not one to shy away from trying.
Her latest passion is swimming. She decided to walk into the pool, as she feels that swimming appears to be underrated, but packs a whole lot of amazing health benefits for literally every age group. Beyond the benefits, it is a life skill. She recently joined Lane 5 Swimming Club located at Enko Botho College as a beginner. “As a beginner at Lane 5 Swimming, I have the privilege of being taught how to swim by a coach who is present in the swimming pool through- out the sessions,” she says. She further says that the presence of a coach at all times has greatly boosted her and that during the sessions, she has seen tremendous growth in terms of how she relates with water. “This has greatly improved my comfort in the water thus reducing the risk of drowning in the unlikely event that I panic, or miss one of the crucial steps in swimming,” she explains. Lane 5 Swimming Club is run by two young innovative partners who are tapping into the potential of elite coaching in swimming as well as imparting and sharing their life skills with swimming enthusiasts. The two happen to be Madome Mathiba and Boitshepo Setlhake, aged 29 and 30 years respectively. The two met back at the University of Botswana Swimming Pool, and as luck would have it, they both joined one of the pools that has been instrumental in teaching children this lifetime skill. But in 2020, they decided to tap into their skills, and expanded the horizon. The project saw them opening up their own Swimming club. For a club that is still relatively new, they have done pretty well for their brand. Today, they boast of close to 50 active members. Ten of their members are in the National Swimming team. And this past weekend, they did exceptional well at a swimming gala that was held at the University of Botswana. Style caught up with the duo earlier this week. Swimming is a passion for the two partners who studied two different Engineering courses, but their love of the water became too much. Mathiba himself did not complete his Aero space Engineering qualification abroad as the water was calling him. Setlhake completed a Diploma in Mining Engineering from the University of Botswana and like his partner, swimming was too enticing to ignore. While some swimming coaches/ clubs are in the habit of bragging about what they can do, or have done, that is further from what the duo does. They want their clients to do all the talking for them and attract referals from clients who are ready to embrace swimming, either for elite swimming or for leisure. Funny enough, when they branched out on their own in 2020, they had built a rapport with their clients at the previous employer, so much that some clients did not hesitate but followed them to their new home. This is testament that they are doing something very right and that their business model is bringing in some exciting results. “When we left, we felt that we were ready to embark on our own project,” says Mathiba.
Sharing their dream, Setlhake notes that they wish to position themselves as the best Elite school in the country, and see their athletes winning at the Olympics. He explains that while they would rather hug their trade secrets, when it comes to teaching especially for those with phobias or beginners, in everything else that they do water, safety is key. One of the key basics that they want from their members who are still familiarising themselves with water, is whether they are comfortable in the water, and if they can float. Once one can grasp these life skills, he notes that this would reduce drowning incidents in the country. “If you cannot float, you cannot swim,” he says adding that they are targeting anyone between the ages of 2 to 70 years. The oldest swimmer he taught at his previous employer was aged 77 years. “Survival in the water is key. And if you are confident, you can navigate your way around the pool,” adds Mathiba.
Mathiba explains that they have clients who would get dizzy when they approached a pool but that with a bit of patience, they eventually overcame their fear, going on to swim the 25metres length of the pool after completing ten sessions with them. But the duration of when one can overcome their fear differs from client to client. According to Setlhake, their approach to teaching both kids and adults differs. But for both ages, water safety comes at the top of the sessions. Adults have an option of registering for 12 sessions that last an hour each, and by the end of the session they are guaranteed that they can navigate their way in the water without any incidents. Sessions for children do not have a specific time frame per session.
The certified life savers, have been privileged to coach in Jwaneng, the Jwaneng Mine under the Africa Aquatics. They hold three qualifications from the Africa Aquatics which is the Certificate in Module 1 & 2, and proceeding to complete the Module 3 with the American Swim coaches. Both qualifications were attained in the shortest time possible of three months. “As elite coaches, our dream is to groom top athletes who can reach international competitions and do exceptionally well,” says Setlhake. Interestingly, the duo shares that as parenting has changed, parents are slowly seeing the value of sports. Sports such as swimming, they explain, can impart life skills such as sportsmanship, discipline and moral values. “Sports creates better people,” they say.