Team Palau were out in full force on Day 6 of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Singapore, with both Charlie Gibbons and Kazuumi Nestor hitting the water and delivering standout performances in their final events. With personal bests, a national record, and a quiet focus that speaks volumes about their growing maturity as athletes, the duo made their nation proud.
Fifteen-year-old Charlie Gibbons, the youngest in his Men’s 100m Butterfly heat, clocked in a massive personal best of 1:01.89, taking over four seconds off his previous mark. It was an impressive display of progress from the young swimmer, who admitted that racing long course was a big shift from what he’s used to. “It’s a lot different than swimming short course” he explained. “I haven’t swam long course 100 Fly in a while, so it was different. I had to pace myself. I don’t have the strength to just blast the whole hundred.”
An hour later, Kazuumi Nestor took to the blocks in the Men’s 50m Freestyle and raced to a new national record of 24.88, shaving that all important half a second off the previous mark set at the 2019 Pacific Games. “It felt good,” he said. “I was flying on the first 25, then kind of died off at the end,” he laughed. “I wanted to go faster, but 24.88 is still a national record, so it’s not bad.”
For both athletes, racing on the same day was a highlight in itself. “He gave me motivation,” Kazuumi said of Charlie. “I saw he got his best time by a lot and I thought, I’ve got to do better now.” Charlie echoed that feeling of solidarity. “I was nervous, just like in the 100 free, I was in the first heat, in lane five, surrounded by these big guys who looked really professional. But knowing Kazuumi was also racing today helped”. Thinking “I wasn’t the only one going through it.”
Both swimmers spoke about how much they’ve learned from competing on this world stage. “I’ve learned that long course is very hard,” Charlie said, grinning. “These guys are fast swimmers. I didn’t get the times I wanted at this competition, but that’s okay. It gives me the fuel to improve during practice and come back strong.”
Kazuumi echoed these words, saying, “I’ve learned it’s not just about sprinting the first half, it’s how you do the whole race. I need to work on that back-end speed.”
Both young swimmers also found inspiration from watching others at the meet. Full of pride to represent Oceania, Charlie thought hard about who inspires him. “Some of the Pacific Islanders, they’re really fast,” he said. “Even though we’re from small islands, we can still train hard and be competitive. Some of them have devoted their lives to swimming and that’s what I want to do in the future.” Kazuumi added that American backstroke star Ryan Murphy is his role model: “His backstroke is insane. He inspired me to work harder at my own.”
Surprisingly, even though they have made incredible progress in their swimming careers having now completed their time at this massive competition, neither Charlie nor Kazuumi plan on treating themselves just yet. Both have another international competition coming up at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships this month. They are focused on recovery and preparation. “We’ve had a lot of competitions this summer,” Charlie said. “I’m just going to rest and get ready for the next event.” Kazuumi added with a laugh, “Maybe after Romania, I’ll treat myself!”. This display of dedication from both these young swimmers reinforces their commitment to doing their best and flying the flag for Palau. Their results speak for themselves, but it’s their quiet drive, humility, and commitment as a team that make Charlie and Kazuumi shine just as brightly outside the pool as they do in it.
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Written by The Reporters Academy