What were you doing at the tender age of just 15?
Perhaps appearing in an Olympic Games? Or competing in a World Championship sports event? No?
Well, Anahira McCutcheon of Fiji, can tick both of those off already as part of the very impressive start to her swimming career. This week is her first appearance at a long course World Swimming Championships, and on Day 7 she lined up in Heat 7 of the Women’s 50m Freestyle.
Catching up with her shortly after she posted 25.84, and taking third place, she described how the race panned out for her.
‘I think my first 25 is always better than my second. I think what I do for the first 25 is just try to keep my head down. Then after the first 25, towards the second 25, I know I start to breathe a lot more. It’s not because I feel like breathing, it’s just like always in my mind. So, I try to think about not breathing as much. I think in that race, I definitely did that, as well as remembering to finish my stroke at the back.’
It’s such detail that can make the marginal gains in this sprint event. Underlining this point, Anahira fell just short of her personal best by a mere 3 hundredths of a second.
Anahira has now completed her Singapore schedule, and she was asked how she reflected on these championships.
‘Mostly this week I’ve just been relaxing and eating a lot to prepare for my swims towards the end of the week, and I’ve been doing a lot of sleeping. I think the highlight of being here is getting to see all of my friends that I made at the Olympics so that’s been nice.’
What about the balance between the excitement of swimming around the world and completing her essential schoolwork?
‘Sometimes it’s definitely tough, and then other times I can manage to balance it reasonably easily. I think when I’m away for swimming competitions I spend my morning after training grinding on a bit of work, and then afterwards I’ll have my sleep and eat.’
It shows a maturity beyond her years, and also that zest that youth can have for squeezing everything out of their opportunities and talents. Now that Anahira has finished swimming here, it presents another opportunity. To treat herself post competition.
‘I’ve really been looking forward to eating chocolate cake the whole time. Possibly for the last 3 weeks. So, I’m definitely going to have that and then I think I’m going to go out with my parents for a bit.’
–Ends–
Written by The Reporters’ Academy