Natalia targets Florida Junior Olympic event
Tanzania’s Natalia Ladha competes in women’s 100m freestyle national swimming competition held at Upanga’s International School of Tanganyika (IST) swimming pool. PHOTO| MAJUTO OMARY
What you need to know:
- In 2017, Natalia managed to win two bronze medals in the finals of the 50m and the 100m backstroke styles. She also qualified for the 50m freestyle race (gold medal: 34.60), and 100m freestyle (gold medal)
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s 12-years old ‘junior swimmer’ Natalia Ladha will compete in this years United States of America swimming competition to be staged in the state of Florida next July, formally known as the ‘Florida Gold Coast Junior Olympic championship.
Natalia has become the prominent swimmer in the country due to her best performances in the game.
At the age of 12, Natalia has managed to set new records in both local and international competitions.
She has also managed to smash her previous records to make the Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA) select her in the African Swimming Governing Body (Cana) zone three squad comprising 39 swimmers from across the country.
Her best performances in the game attracted a United States famous club, Swimfast Club of Florida, for which she featured in Florida’s Gold Coast Junior Olympic championship.
In 2017, Natalia managed to win two bronze medals in the finals of the 50m and the 100m backstroke styles.
“It was difficult to qualify because I was competing for the first time in a 50m swimming pool. I was the only Tanzanian swimmer,” said Natalia.
Natalia also swims for the Taliss-IST Swimming Club and studies at the Dar es Salaam International Academy (DIA) located at Masaki in Dar es Salaam Region. “However, I am still young, and I see a bright future ahead for me as I believe one day I will be among the athletes who carry the national flag to represent the country in prestigious sports events like the Olympic, the Commonwealth Games and World Swimming Championships.
To realize my dream, I will have to work harder in my training,” she said.
In the 2017 Florida Junior Olympics pre-event, Natalia shone in seven events: 200m freestyle (won a gold medal at the record time of 2.44.46); 200m in Individual Medley (gold medal at 3.18.04); 100m backstroke (gold medal: 1.26.30); 50m butterfly (gold: 40.03), and 100m butterfly (silver medal: 1.38.35).
She also qualified for the 50m freestyle race (gold medal: 34.60), and 100m freestyle (gold medal: 1.15.23).
