KOKORO FROST M100 FLY – Day 6 of these Championships and Samoa’s Kokoro Frost lined up in Heat 2 of the Men’s 100m Butterfly.
Kokoro is in good form at the moment, and he was looking to end his individual races with a flourish in the two-length discipline.
A time of 58.82 seconds ensured he did just that. The 22 year old posted a new personal best. His second personal best of the week, following on from the 100m backstroke, and still with a relay to come. He talked about his approach to this race and how he has progressed lately;
‘Really, it’s just been focusing on little things like my breathing pattern, especially for the 100m Fly, as well as pacing. I’m naturally a bit quicker off the blocks than some others, so trying to hone that in so that I’m using it efficiently and not just expending all my energy on that first 50m. That’s something I’ve been testing out and it’s working for me. I mean three out of four races already done and I managed to pick up two PB’s.
As racing in Singapore heads toward its completion, it was time for Kokoro to reflect on the last week. Not surprisingly, the unique environment of 13 Pacific island teams coming together to support each other was not far from his mind.
‘To suit up next to our Oceania family at these international Meets has probably been my highlight.’
Not far behind is the opportunity to get close up to the world’s top swimmers.
‘They just do the 1% at 100%. So trying to emulate that within all of our own swimming is a challenge. But it’s something that we’re all here to do at the end of the day. And if we can make that next step and start making semifinals and finals, that’d be great.’
You’d assume with two personal bests in the bag, then there might be a little part of Kokoro eyeing a little break. Not a bit of it. His first swimming inspiration was Michael Phelps, and in common with one of the greatest ever, he’s already thinking about planning further success in the coming months.
‘I’ll go home get straight back into training and then hopefully work towards the Commonwealth Games this time next year.’
Days and performances like today reward those early mornings and tireless training sessions.
‘My biggest ‘why’ is my family. They’ve sacrificed a lot for me to be here today and the easiest way for me to give thanks is by staying at it and showing my gratitude for all that they’ve done for me to be here.’
It highlights the unseen aspects of a tough sport and the mindset needed. Nevertheless, he smiled and remarked, ‘we have got the team relay tomorrow, and that’s always good fun…..but it is still competitive.’
JOHANN STICKLAND M50m FREE
An hour after Kokoro’s butterfly performance, teammate Johann Stickland hit the water in the Men’s 50m Freestyle. Another event packed with Pacific Island representation: Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Northern Mariana Islands and Fiji
Racing in Heat 7, Stickland surged to a strong finish with a time of 23.79, building on the momentum he’s carried all week.
“For where I’m at, I thought it was great,” he said afterwards. “Faster than when I swam in Palau, which was short course, and it just felt so much better. I’m really happy with that.”
That sense of progression is something he’s taken pride in throughout this meet. “I’m happy that I’m progressing through all the races I’m doing at the moment. So yeah, pretty happy with my time.”
With one more race to come in the team freestyle relay, his focus remains steady and grounded in gratitude. “We’ll probably do a few relay changeovers, but I feel like we’re a lot more confident going into this one.”
Like Kokoro, Johann also draws deep inspiration from family. “The only reason why I started swimming was because of my older sister,” he shared. “She represented Samoa before me. She’s a big reason why I still swim today.” His sister, Lushavel Stickland, has clearly passed on a love for the sport and a sense of purpose and pride in wearing the much coveted blue cap.
And when it comes to mindset, Johann carries the same composed outlook seen across this tight team. “Everything happens in divine timing,” he said with quiet certainty. “Just be happy with what’s going on in the moment. Everything happens for a reason.”
Johann is looking forward to returning to the pool again tomorrow with Kokoro, Paige and their other teammate Kaiya Brown, maintaining it’s not just to race, but to enjoy one final chance to suit up alongside his team and give his best on the world stage.
‘As much as you’d like to win them all, it can’t always be the case, and you just have to learn from it.’
PAIGE SCHENDELAAR-KEMP W50m FLY
Paige Schendelaar-Kemp is a great example of the strong mental approach that elite swimmers require. She led her Heat away in the Women’s 50m Butterfly after she was fastest off the blocks and came home in the one length event in a time of 28.60 seconds. Today wasn’t quite Paige’s day, but her positive approach means there will be many positive days to come for her.
‘It’s never straight forward, there are so many factors that contribute to performance, I just have to sit down with my coach and talk it through.’
Paige went on to give us a fascinating insight into the process of swimming and how she balances the good days and the not so good days by utilising her support systems.
‘Swimming is not easy, but I love the daily grind. It’s the whys that keep me going. My family, my country, representing Samoa, and my three amazing teammates. Just knowing that at the end of the day they will love you no matter what, and they will be there. No matter whether you swim the time of your life or not.’
As Paige explained, with those support systems in place, you’re never too far away from the next upside, and this week it’s no different.
‘We have the 4x100m Mixed Relay tomorrow so that’s going to be fun. So, I can finish on a high with the team. I’ve always loved doing it that way.’
–Ends–
Written by The Reporters Academy
Photos by Andrea Schuster