FIFTEEN-year-old homeschool swimmer Thaddeus Albert Kwong broke three records at the Fiji Primary and Secondary Schools National Swimming Championships on Saturday, just days after recovering from illness.
“Preparation coming into the competition was not really good,” Kwong said.
“The week before the competition I couldn’t train because I was sick, and then just the week of the competition I finally got to train. I was just working on my technique and stuff.”
Kwong clocked 1 minute 3.24 seconds in the boys 16-year-old division 100-metre Backstroke, and 28.99 seconds in the 50-metre Backstroke, breaking Samuela Yalimaiwai’s 2019 record of 29.73 seconds.
He also broke a 10-year-old record in the 50-metre Butterfly, finishing in 27.23 seconds to beat Viliame Takayawa’s 27.49-second mark set in 2014.
“I started swimming when I was like five years old,” he said.
“But I think I got serious when I was like 10. My mom just made us start swimming at a really young age and that was how we got into swimming.”
Kwong has been homeschooled with his two sisters, Theola and Charis, since 2022.
All three siblings have been selected to represent Fiji at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau later this month.
“Actually, I was surprised when I was announced as one of the athletes to go to the Mini Games,” he said.
“This will be my first Mini Games and international competition. And to be competing beside my two sisters at that.”
He admits training for the Games has been tough but rewarding.
“Pretty good hard training I got going on,” he said.
“The challenge is just trying to balance schoolwork and training because I find schoolwork hard.”
Kwong’s goal at the school’s meet was to break all his event records.
“I only broke three of them. I tried breaking the 50m free too but couldn’t.”
His mum remains a key influence. “She always tells me to train hard and train like you are racing.”
Meanwhile, the Pacific Mini Games will be held in Palau from June 29 to July 9.
