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Olympics postponement a blessing in disguise - Schoenmaker

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Tatjana Schoenmaker is enjoying her time away from the pool for now. Picture: Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images
Tatjana Schoenmaker is enjoying her time away from the pool for now. Picture: Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images

The postponement of this year’s Olympics due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic may have delayed Tatjana Schoenmaker’s first taste of the Games by a year, but it has also been a blessing in disguise for South Africa’s 100m and 200m 2018 Commonwealth Games breaststroke champion, and 2019 World Championships 200m silver medallist. She tells us how:

When the national lockdown was announced, did you imagine it would end up being more than just an inconvenience to your preparations and a full postponement of the Olympics?

I didn’t think so; the Olympics are quite a major event. But I don’t think they made the decision lightly, and after a while I think it was a good decision.

I’m happy they made it. As athletes, the worst part was the waiting game because, on the one hand, there was the not knowing if they would carry on or not and, on the other, knowing that your preparations would be compromised.

I’m happy with the decision they made because it takes a lot of stress off the athletes’ shoulders.

Now that the Olympics will be held a year later than they were supposed to, how have you rationalised that to yourself in terms of the preparation you had done and the hopes you had for the Games?

Obviously the Games are still going ahead, so my preparations and hopes will still be the same. I’m still hoping to go and be part of my first Olympics.

I’m still hoping to do my best times; I just have the advantage of another year of training.

As athletes, the worst part was the waiting game because, on the one hand, there was the not knowing if they would carry on or not and, on the other, knowing that your preparations would be compromised
Tatjana Schoenmaker

We really scored in this because the four years from 2016 went by so fast. I didn’t think it would because I remember thinking in 2016 that I had four years to get to 2020, but it went by so quickly and, when the year came, I was thinking: ‘It’s right here, if only I had another year.’ So I’m very happy with that.

Given the head of steam you’d built up going into this year, are you worried about losing momentum or are you comforted by the fact that everyone seems to be in the same boat?

It’s nice to know that everyone is in the same boat; it’s made me feel more at peace. I’m not worried about losing momentum.

If anything, it was the best opportunity for me to take a full-on break. I was going to do that after the Olympics, but now I have a year and a half before the Olympics.

Do you have an idea of what will be left of your season once lockdown is over?

I think it’s just getting back in the water. With swimming, you lose the feeling of the water after staying out of it for so long; it’s almost like you have to learn to swim again.

Obviously, you get into it much more quickly. The rest of the year will be different because we’re not prepping for anything. It’ll be more about grinding hard, trying to get that extra few months of intense training in to prepare better for the Olympics.

Most athletes have worked out at home in isolation – have you at least had a pool to swim in during this challenging time?

I’m fortunate enough to have a pool where I am, but unfortunately it’s very cold. I’ve only been able to get half my body in there, but I couldn’t get the rest of it underwater because it was really, really cold.

So, for the moment, I’m keeping fit on land, where I’m getting gym sets and cardio work in.

What’s it like not to go through the routine of jumping into a pool daily?

It’s different because I’m so used to getting into the pool twice a day every day.

But it’s kind of nice to get this break.

With swimming, you lose the feeling of the water after staying out of it for so long; it’s almost like you have to learn to swim again.
Schoenmaker

For the first three weeks of lockdown, I was on a full break to rest all the muscles because swimming is a sport that takes place all year long, so you don’t get time to take a break.

So it was nice to take a step back and enjoy something other than swimming.

People in team sports have had to take pay cuts or are considering them – how badly has this affected your livelihood?

To be honest, swimming isn’t a very popular sport in South Africa. I think the only time they show it on TV is during the Olympics or the World Championships. It’s not one of the big sports in this country, so you don’t really get paid to swim.

I have been blessed to have so many new sponsors this year, so I’m happy my sponsors are sticking around during this tough time. So it hasn’t affected me too badly.

Many people seem to have learnt a different skill while being holed up indoors. Have you?

I know a lot of people have, but I haven’t.

But I do like learning, so I’ve been helping our housekeeper’s son, who is in Grade 10, with some of the subjects he struggles with, such as maths, because I was good at it at school.


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