JANUARY Shakira

General
EXPERIENCING RACISM
She admits that encountering racial prejudice while competing in water polo meant she almost gave up the sport. "In water polo, not everyone looks like me. This is not something I noticed at first, but it was pointed out to me a few years after I started playing. An international tournament that was meant to build and enhance my water polo career only broke me to the point where I wanted to quit. Luckily for me my support structure helped me realise that some people do not want to see you succeed, some people see triumph in your defeat. They helped me realise that you cannot let people like that define you. I know that this is a challenge I am not facing alone, and I will fight until we overcome this challenge. This is not the only challenge I face but it is the most important." (gsport.co.za, 07 Jul 2021)

FUTURE PLANS
alongside her sports career she hopes to raise awareness of water polo in South Africa and teach children to swim. "I want to teach young girls and boys how to swim and progress into teaching them how to play water polo. Water polo is not well known in South Africa, especially in public schools. I want to change that. I want to change the stigma that lies behind water polo and encourage anyone who is fighting that stigma to carry on fighting and to never stop." (gsport.co.za, 07 Jul 2021)