Swimming her way to success

Ariana Naukosho started swimming when she was two months old; today she is one of Namibia’s most loved swimming sensations.
Tunohole Mungoba
Tunohole Mungoba



Ariana Naukosho is no ordinary 11-year-old.

Her parents enrolled her in baby swimming classes at Dolphins Swimming Club when she was two months old, and today she is the youngest member of the Namibian national team that is taking part in the Confédération Africaine de Natation (CANA) Zone IV Swimming Championship in Windhoek this year.

She was also the youngest participant in the same championship held in Malawi last year at the age of 10.

“In December 2018, I participated in my first open water event in Swakopmund, and won the Jetty Sprint in my age group. I was also the second female overall (out of 37 female participants) and seventh overall for both male and female - out of 90 participants,” said the young swimmer.

“Despite many trips to Swakopmund, I was always scared of swimming in the ocean. I overcame my fear, and to me that was the biggest achievement.

“The biggest highlight of my swimming career was my first regional travel to South Africa for level 1 swimming when I was eight years old,” she said.

“I have been twice to the Northern Tigers Swimming (NTS) Championship in Pretoria in 2017 and 2018. Travelling to Malawi in 2018 was an eye-opener, because I met and became friends with young swimmers from 15 African countries, all from different backgrounds and cultures.”

Although Naukosho experienced a number of triumphs, her first trip to Pretoria was a challenge because according to her the competition was very tough.

“But it prepared me for future international competitions and I consider myself fortunate to have been exposed to such level of competition at 10 years old,” she tells The Zone.

Currently in grade six at Windhoek Gymnasium, Naukosho attributes her success to her parents’ commitment.

She says they were committed enough to see every training phase through till the end.

Unfortunately, her father passed away in a motorbike accident when she was seven years old. “Our world fell apart, but my mother held it together and kept me and my little sister going. My coach, Janis Stergiadis, has been by my side since I started baby swimming classes and he understands my strengths and embraces my weaknesses,” she explains.

“My grandparents have also been very supportive from a distance. They live overseas, and follow every step of my swimming career. They remind me to believe in myself, which can be very difficult when you are having a dip in your performance.”

She lists Sarah Sjöström from Sweden as her favourite swimmer.

“She specialises in butterfly and freestyle sprints - events which I struggle with, because I am a long distance swimmer. I am also a fan of Philip Seidler, our very own Namibian long distance and open water champ. He has so much endurance and discipline, which only a few can dream of,” she said.

At the age of 11, Naukosho has big dreams for herself. “I dream of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. I will be 17 years old by then. They say Paris is the city of love - and what greater joy than going to do what you love the most in Paris,” she says.

She advises young people to enrol in a sport, steer away from peer pressure, be disciplined with their training routine, respect your coaches and endure the pain, because it is only temporary and endurance pays off in the end.

“And above all, remain humble and stay kind to your coach, your swimming peers, your competitors, your family,” she added.