|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
During last month’s NZ Swimming Championships, Pokeno’s Aimee Van Aardt broke her 50 metre and 100 metre butterfly personal bests while also winning a silver medal.
“I was happy with the silver, but I’m hoping that I will win gold next time,” she told the Times.
“What let me down was not making it to the wall faster and not being quicker with my tumble turns and diving off the board.”
In addition to help from her trainer, Sheldon Kemp, Aimee has also gained advice and support from her swimming squad at Pukekohe Swimming Club (PSC).
Another in her cheering section is her proud mum, Tasha Van Aardt.
“Aimee has loved water practically since she was born – we could never get her out of the swimming pool,” she says. “She started swimming lessons when she was two and competitive swimming aged eight.”
Aimee competes in the S18 classification – a class for athletes with Down Syndrome or intellectual impairments combined with physical impairments.
“The sad thing about the S18 classification is that Aimee can’t compete at the Paralympic Games because they don’t recognise the class. However, fortunately she can still compete at the Virtus Asia-Oceania Games,” Tasha says.
An elite, international multi-sport event, the competition has been developed specifically for athletes with intellectual impairments.
Aimee lives with Williams Syndrome, a condition that affects parts of the body and intellectual development. However, she has never let her condition hinder her.
Tasha says it has not been an easy road for her daughter, but the family is extremely proud.
Aimee is now fully focused on training for the Virtus Games early next year. Her advice to anyone wanting to follow in her wake is straightforward:
“Just go as hard as you can and always do your best!”
