Celebrating Audrey Chebet, a Grade 10 student with 261 swimming medals

Audrey Chebet, 14, is a Grade 10 student at Makini School. She starts her day at 5am, swimming for two hours.

“I train swimming for 16 hours a week and four hours gym from 4pm-5m, swim again from 5pm to 7pm,” Chebet said during an interview with the Star.

The young champ comes to the interview carrying a pink box file with more than 40 valuables, and these are not revision papers.

She is carrying certificates and printed awards which she has scooped since she was eight years.

“I began swimming at seven years but at the age of eight is when I competitively took part in the sport,” she said.

Chebet has arranged her medals in four categories: international, silver, bronze and gold.

From our count, she has 61, bronze 53, silver 69 and 33 gold, which she says are all a product of commitment and resilience.

“The challenge I have is that I am tired all the time. It takes a lot of energy to train, and I sleep really late and wake up really early,” she said.

At her age, most kids consume junk food, but that can’t happen for her. To maintain a fit body, she avoids fatty, oily foods, sweets and excess wheat.

In swimming, she takes part in any of the matches without specialisation, but her favourite is back stroke.

This is where lie on your back and flutter your legs while circling your arms in a windmill motion.

“I am too young to specialise. At this age I am expected to swim all my strokes, but as I grow older, I will specialise; I do not have a choice,” she said.

Chebet’s skills have been boosted by the school in terms of public recognition and motivation.

“When you participate, they mention you in the assembly, congratulate you and encourage you to continue doing what you’re doing,” she said.

Her parents, on the other hand, have never questioned her participation in the game.

She said they support her talent and encourage her to train hard and learn more.

“They were very happy and proud. I think it was when I was seven, I had gone to Uganda, Kampala. That was the first seven years of swimming,” she said.

Her competitiveness has seen her visit four countries to represent her swimming team.

They include Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania and Sudan.

Source: The Star