The Olympic movement is expanding, with more and more countries representing their countries in swimming at the Olympics. This is partly due to World Aquatics programmes that give more swimmers from all over the globe more possibilities and extra help to achieve their dreams: to compete in the biggest stage of sports, like the World Aquatics Championships and the Olympics.
World Aquatics Scholarship Programme participant Adrian Robinson has progressed so much in the pool that he is now set to compete in Paris.
The World Aquatics Scholarships Programme offers the opportunity to obtain financial and technical assistance for one potential elite athlete per Federation and year. As part of the development of the National Federations, contributing on the athletes’ preparation for their participation at international competitions is crucial to their progress and to the future of the National teams. The main goal of this Scholarships Programme is to identify, prepare and qualify athletes aspiring to participate in the next Olympic Games and World Aquatics Championships.
My Biggest Dream Will Come True
Swimming has always been a big part of Robinson's life, and since childhood his life has revolved around the sport.
“I fell in love with swimming because the weather in Botswana is usually very hot, so you spend a lot of time in the water to get a bit colder. Growing up as a swimmer was pretty good. My parents pushed me to swim more, to get better.
“When I was 10 years old, we moved to Canada and lived there for a couple of years. I took swimming a little bit more seriously until I was 16. Then I went to South Africa for high school. There I swam as hard as I could to achieve one of my dreams; I participated in the 2017 World Championships in Budapest. Soon my biggest dream will come true - I will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris.”
‘The Scholarship Programme Is Definitely Taking Me to the Next Level’
The young Botswana swimmer's life has changed a lot since he moved to Budapest last year thanks to the World Aquatics Scholarship Programme.
“I moved to Budapest last year, since then it's been a huge rollercoaster, but it's good for my swimming career. Since I was a kid, I wanted to be on the main stage, at the Olympics. I had to make a lot of sacrifices to be where I am now. The scholarship programme is definitely taking me to the next level.
“I moved to Budapest last year, since then it's been a huge rollercoaster, but it's good for my swimming career. Since I was a kid, I wanted to be on the main stage, at the Olympics. I had to make a lot of sacrifices to be where I am now. The scholarship programme is definitely taking me to the next level.
“For a couple of years, I was struggling to go faster and get better times,” added Robinson. “Since I moved to Budapest, I have made significant progress in my times in my main events. It's beneficial. Europe, especially Hungary, is a great place to be if you want to get better at swimming. Hungary is just a powerhouse when it comes to swimming and coaching. I knew I had to come here to get to the next level.”
Akos Molnar (former swimmer) coach of Robinson says: “The swimmers in the scholarship programme come from a different swimming culture, so it's a totally different experience to be here and swim in Hungary. This helps them to find extra motivation.”
Coach Molnar, who was working with the world silver medallist David Verraszto of Hungary added: “First, we tried to correct the technical deficiencies and he improved a lot. Then we improved his stamina, which clearly showed the improvement. In the 100m breaststroke, he bettered his PB by almost one second in seven months.”
Huge Personal Best the Result from Hard Training Sessions
“I’ve done quite a few personal bests, in both my races – 50m and 100m breaststroke, since I’ve got in here. I’m still hoping to get even faster at the Olympics.” The dream will come true, Robinson will be at the Olympics in Paris: “I will compete on 100m breaststroke, want to show my best, hopefully better my PB there. I barely wait until then, but it’s not the end for me, because I want to show my progress further, and be better, at the Short Course World Champs in Budapest in December.”
To be successful, you need to have supporters, and Adrian Robinson can count on a lot of them. “My parents are behind my back 24/7 and Botswana is definitely one of the best countries to have behind you and support you. I’m sure my whole family and maybe the whole county will watch me at the Olympics and cheering me on.”