EPaper

Trinity is her name, but she swims for one goal

• Coach Van Wyk lauds teenager for the hard work she is doing to get into the Olympics

Mark Etheridge

EVERY ATHLETE’S GOAL IS THE OLYMPICS. THAT’S OUR TARGET WITH TRINITY. WE HAVE SET MILESTONES FOR EACH SEASON

Chanelle van Wyk Swimming coach

Cape Town teenager Trinity Hearne was given her name for two reasons.

The first was that when she was conceived, she would complete the family trinity as she was the first-born child to devout Anglican parents Marcello and Jacky, and would make up a family of three.

The other was that a leading character of the hit movie The Matrix was named Trinity.

The big difference is that while the film character’s fictional power was flight, Hearne junior’s power is swimming — as evidenced by her 10 medals at the recent senior African championships in Tunis, Tunisia.

The northern suburbs swimmer also swam for Team SA at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and says this was where her breakthrough swim came.

“I think the 100m butterfly heats at Comm Games was my proudest swim so far ... it was just so special.

“Reason being that I had struggled at nationals this year and really wasn’t expecting to make the team, then I made it for the relay events. But we were allowed to swim our individual races as well, and that was my first race as a senior, so it was extra special. I went more than a second quicker than nationals and I got a time I really wanted.”

Birmingham did boost her confidence, as shown by her double-figure tally in Tunisia.

“It was my second time in Tunisia, as I swam African juniors there three years ago, but didn’t have a great champs, so I kind-of felt like I redeemed myself this time out.”

She took the plunge into true swimming at an early age. “We were doing a ‘learn-to-swim’ thing and I took off my armbands and said to my mom, ‘Look at me, I can swim’... but of course, I couldn’t and my mom had to jump into the pool fully clothed to save me.”

Mom remembers well: “It was one of the funniest and probably most scary days of her career. To this day, I can’t emphasise enough the importance of every child learning water safety.”

Now a swimmer, the young Trinity’s first ambitions were vocal. “I really wanted to be a singer. I loved Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber and how they forged their careers, and from an early age was always putting on shows where I’d sing and dance for my family.”

To this day, Bieber remains an idol. “I still think he’s a good role model. He didn’t come from a rich background, nor do I. I think he’s still humble.”

Getting more swimming specific, and multiple Olympian Chad le Clos stands out. “He was always my role model in the pool and I remember watching him win gold at London 2012 and even when he came back, there was no big head — he was still the same Chad.”

Most of her formative years were spent with Bianca Marais at Tygerberg Aquatics, but she outgrew the swim school. “I got to the point where I was one of the only seniors left, so moved to Cybersmart Aquatics in Milnerton where Chanelle van Wyk [a former national-level swimmer] and Hungarian Bálint Richter look after my swimming and are

constantly challenging me.”

Of course, it helps that 2020 Olympian Ethan du Preez is a squad member and specialises in the butterfly events like her.

“Chanelle and I have a great relationship. She’s very hardcore in the pool and her favourite saying is, ‘The ball’s in your court ... only you are in control of how you reach your goals’,” Hearne says.

“But outside the pool, she’s always making jokes and giving advice. All in all, just great to be around.”

Coach Van Wyk says at just 19, Hearne is already a role model. “She’s one of the hardest workers I’ve seen in a while, both in and out the pool.

“You can tell her anything or ask anything of her and shell execute it to the tee.

“Every athlete’s goal is to go to the Olympics. That ’ s our target with Trinity. We have set milestones for each season and are on track.

“Our youngest swimmers really look up to her and most of them come early just to watch her swim.”

For the moment, Hearne has her head down, both in the pool and in her books. She has been home-schooled since Grade 10 and writes her last exam in October.

“Then I want to really see how far I can go in my specialist 100 and 200m ’fly events — the shorter version is my favourite. And of course the IM [individual medley] events, although my breaststroke is really dreadful.”

On dry land, she has dreams of becoming a veterinary surgeon. “I’m just crazy about animals, my Labrador’s name is Coco, and I just want to help and love every animal I see in the streets and I’m also fascinated by all the sciences and stuff like pathology.”

Such is her passion for all life that she has been vegetarian since 2019, “mainly because of abuse to animals. But once I cut meat out, I found I’ve got so much more energy and I’ve also found so many new vegetables I never knew existed.”

Hearne is doing anything but vegetating as she looks to make her mark way beyond the matrix of normality.

SPORT

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2022-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

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