FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD swimmer Salote Leca of Jai Narayan College is gearing up in excitement for her debut at the 14th Oceania Swimming Championship 2026, which starts on Friday in Suva.
Originally from Qalikarua, Matuku in Lau, she began her swimming journey at the age of five.
According to Leca, it would be her first time participating at a regional competition such as this.
“I started swimming at five and competitively at seven and internationally at thirteen, this will be my first Oceania,” Leca said.
With a lot to look forward to, she is also eager to embrace the competition as a platform to develop her skills, compete with other swimmers and challenge herself to do better.
“I am very excited because it’s a great learning opportunity for swimming and to see all the different talents, how everyone is preparing and how fast they are so I can better prepare myself for higher levels.”
In participating at the regional meet and being a beacon of pride and joy for her family, she is also not alone in this mission since competitive swimming runs in the family.
Her cousin is seasoned national swimmer and breaststroke specialist, Moana Wind, who Leca credits as a source of inspiration in her pursuit for excellence as an aspiring swimmer.
However, in looking up to her relatives for support, inspiration and a chance to excel, she understands how she would need to work on herself to ensure she would perform at her highest potential when the swimming meet gets underway.
“I’ll work harder mostly on my long distance because I’m not as near as fast as I should be.”
As she prepares diligently for the regional meet this week, her message to her fellow young swimmers and people aiming to excel in sports is to keep composed and focused when trying out for any sport since the opportunity to excel in any sport would arise in the process.
