Penny attends swim clinic

DOUBLE Olympic gold medallist Penny Haynes will kick off a two day coaching clinic at Stirling Primary School starting today.

Around 40 to 50 of the best swimmers from around the Border region are expected to attend.

Swimmers who have competed at National Levels one, two and three from various swimming clubs and schools were invited by Harlequins Aquatics, who organised and will be hosting the event.

“We are delighted to have such a well admired role model to inspire young swimmers from the Border region to greater heights in the pool,” said Harlequins Aquatics public relations officer Roelf Steyn.

Heynes, who is South Africa’s most recognised past Olympian, wowed the country with her performances at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, US.

She became South Africa’s first postApartheid Olympic gold medallist and the only women in the history of the Olympic Games to win the 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

She will be doing water workouts, land training, motivational and nutritional talks and question and answer sessions with swimmers, coaches and parents in attendance today and tomorrow.

The hands-on sessions with swimmers are expected to be very intensive and will push them to their limits while her personal experiences that she will impart on them could prove invaluable.

“It is a rare privilege to attend such a clinic, and we are sure it will benefit each attendee immensely,” said Steyn.