Levin swimmer bags gold
A young Levin swimmer has returned home from the 2018 Kiwi Allstars Junior Carnival in Palmerston North with a haul of gold medals.
Keanu Jennings, 12, competed for the Levin Swimming Club at the event earlier this month, taking the gold in the 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 100m breaststroke and 100m freestyle.
The Poroutawhoa pupil put in an outstanding effort for his club, after training hard four to five times a week for an hour and a half each time.
The carnival was held at Freyberg Aquatic Centre with Keanu taking out the gold in his breaststroke events with ease, while the freestyle involved a bit more of a fight for the win, he said.
Keanu said he felt apprehensive ahead of the competition but, once he hit the water, it all clicked into place.
“I felt nervous. In the freestyle [the other competitors] were kind of close to me.”
Keanu got into competitive swimming after heading up through the ranks of his local swim school, and then attending a trial, where joining Levin Swimming Club was suggested to him as he had obvious talent in the sport.
He is also captain and plays catcher for the newly formed Nga¯ Tama O Taitoko Under 13 softball team.
With a summer of training ahead, the determined young athlete now has his sights set on the next NZ junior swimming championships, to be held early next year.