Durban - As a group of KwaZulu-Natal swimmers got a heroes’ send-off last week when they left to join the national squad who are training overseas for the Rio Olympics, four Durban Down syndrome swimmers have been getting down to business with a lot less fanfare, preparing for a different international meet, also just months away.
Sean O’Neill, 31, Hylton Heggie, 30, Peter Lundy, 26, and Melisa van Bosch, 24, have spent long hours in the pool ahead of the Trisome Games in Florence, Italy, in less than two months’ time.
They are members of an eight-strong squad picked to represent the country at the games, a biennial world event for people with Down syndrome, which includes athletics, table tennis, gymnastics, judo and futsal.
When the Daily News met the swimmers last week, they were doing an afternoon 4pm to 5.30pm session at the Virginia Preparatory School pool.
It was their second of the day, which had included an 8am to 10am session – part of the four’s six-day training week.
Van Bosch is the only woman in the KZN contingent, which was selected in March.
She has been struggling to keep up with her male training partners and is working to improve her times.
“I’ve been training hard and I’m challenged by butterfly stroke, so I need more assistance in speed swimming,” she said.
Van Bosch is engaged to be married to O’Neill, in December.
The couple met in February 2014, when O’Neill, who is from Gauteng, had come down to KZN to swim the Midmar Mile, and while in Durban met Van Bosch at a Valentine’s dance at the Westville Baptist Church.
O’Neill said he was excited about being engaged, and to have found his “soulmate”.
“We both happy about getting married,” said O’Neill.
According to Ann van Bosch, the mother of the bride, the pair will be the third couple with Down syndrome to get married in South Africa.
For the moment, though, they are focused on swimming.
O’Neill, who said his preparations for the games were on track, has been swimming since he was 18.
“I love swimming and I train a lot,” said O’Neill, who brought home an impressive haul of 10 medals – 6 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze – from the recent South African Sport Association for the Intellectually Impaired Age Group Games in Port Elizabeth.
O’Neill has also swum overseas, where he set a world record for 50-metres freestyle and Africa records.
For Lundy the Trisome Games will be his first overseas competition, but he is brimming over with confidence.
“I started swimming in 2002, and in 2005 I was awarded as the KZN Sportsman of the Year. I am passionate about swimming and I don’t face any challenges while training, because its very easy. I will bring back the golden medal,” he said.
Like Van Bosch, Heggie is also battling with his butterfly stroke, but is motivated and training hard
“I started swimming in 2004, won one bronze medal in an individual event in Mexico. And at the South African Sport Association for the Intellectually Impaired Age Group Games in PE the same year, I won 13 medals – 6 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze,” Heggie said.
The KZN swimmers are being trained by national coach Gail Dungey, who is also a teacher at Golden Hours Special School in Durban North.
Hers is a tough job.
“I face lot of challenges since there is a lack of facilities. My swimmers don’t have enough kits, but a few people have sponsored one costume per swimmer, so we still need at least two costumes for each swimmer,” Dungey said.
But the coach said the parents were supportive.
Ann van Bosch is proud of the hard work put in by the KZN athletes, and the results had been “phenomenal”.
“They will swim heats in the mornings and finals during the evening.
“They also don’t have enough costumes, but I’m selling fudge to earn money, and have asked for sponsors from two companies for kit donation,” she said.