20160128-blog-swenia

Sweania’s on Track to Her Olympic Dream

20160128-blog-swenia

On an island where conditions for training can often be less than ideal, not to mention the added cost of travel in order to compete at an elite, international level, what on earth would fuel a young local lady’s desire to become a top triathlete?

Pure determination, guts and the power of dreams that’s what! Hell bent on being an athlete from the tender age of seven, now seventeen year old Sweania from Batu Bolong is a delightful example of the belief that anything is possible if you have the will and strength to keep trying.

It has certainly not been an easy ride, with the loss of inspirational loved ones and financial hardship along the way but Sweania agrees she has been blessed to receive some welcome assistance through sponsorship from local community groups, charities and generous individuals who have admired her sheer grit and drive despite adversity and would love to see her achieve her goal.

Already an avid surfer and accomplished swimmer with a swag of medals and national titles by her early teens, the Green School scholarship student set her sights on a higher prize and sought assistance with training to represent Indonesia as an Olympic triathlete. Without a racing bike, embarking on this quest was nigh on impossible until Singaporean Joni Wong helped her out with some wheels and, along with sponsorship from generous individuals and groups such as Solemen Indonesia, Sweania went on to win the under 19 division of the Bali Triathlon in 2013 – her first international event!

Sweania’s engaging personality and sincerity as well as her own generosity and willingness to give back to other youth in her local community has not gone unnoticed, garnishing offers of support from her school community and business groups. There have been a string of other successes over the last two years and her quest to be the best continues in 2016 with a triathlon in Sumatra in April and the Rottnest Island Tri in Western Australia in May.

In an effort to assist Sweania with her goal, The Canggu Club has offered her a Bronze Membership which enables her to enjoy full use of their extensive gym facilities as well as the pool for her swim training. She is looking forward to meeting with Canggu Club swim coach and Olympic champion Luisa Striani in the hope of gleaning some extra tips for the triathlon swim leg as well as one of The Club’s personal trainers, Swen de Ruyter for some advice on strength and conditioning.

Sweania trains everyday and juggles her school commitments with early morning swims along with bike training around the streets of Babakan and Pererenan with mentor, sponsor and enthusiastic cycler Graham Almond from Bali Assist. With the invaluable assistance from Rotary eClub, sponsors from her school, the island community and The Canggu Club, Sweania is certainly on track to achieve her goal. But help can only get you half way. True success stems from the determination within and if Sweania’s drive to see her dream become a reality is anything to go by, I’m pretty certain the finish line is well within her reach!

If you would like to help Sweania in her quest to compete at her next international event in May, contact the Canggu Club on +62(361) 8483939 or go to the Rotary eClub of Bali community gofundme page to make a contribution – gofundme.com