At just 15, Grade 10 pupil Mia Braun has already taken on three extraordinary open-water swimming challenges this year. But what makes her story so special is that her passion for swimming has also become a way to help others.
Earlier this year, Mia was selected as one of 50 Junior City Councillors from more than 900 applicants. As part of the programme, she was tasked with creating a community project. Having discovered a love for long-distance swimming while training for water polo, she decided to combine her two interests: swimming and making a difference and so “Stroke for Hope” was born.
Mia set herself the challenge of swimming the 7.4km from Robben Island to the mainland to raise money to help children learn to swim and become safer in the water. With an initial fundraising target of R30,000, she was overwhelmed by the support she received. In less than a month, she had raised more than R127,000!
On 22 May, Mia completed the Robben Island Freedom Swim in 2 hours and 44 minutes. It was a huge personal achievement, but for Mia, knowing that every stroke could help another child was what kept her going and since then she hasn’t stopped there.
Through ‘Stroke for Hope’, Mia has become involved with Glide Along Aquatics, a swimming programme in Atlantis run by Gerrie Coetzee, who is committed to giving children opportunities through swimming. Mia sponsored eight young swimmers to attend the Freda Barnard Gala in Oudtshoorn in October, where they proudly represented their club.
She has also spent time with The Little Optimist at the V&A Waterfront, an organisation using sailing to build confidence, life skills and emotional wellbeing in children. Mia has even shared her story with the children, encouraging them to believe in themselves.
Meanwhile, her own swimming journey has continued to reach new heights when on 30 August, Mia travelled to Turkey to compete in the world famous 5km Hellespont Swim, crossing from Europe to Asia. She was the youngest international swimmer taking part and finished 72nd out of 866 female swimmers. It was also an opportunity to meet open-water swimmers from around the world who share her passion.
Her biggest challenge yet took place on 5 October, with only a few days’ notice that conditions were favourable, Mia took on the Three Capes Swim around Cape Point. This notoriously challenging open-water route is approximately 10.2km, but Mia ended up swimming around 11km in water temperatures of just 13-14°C, navigating currents, kelp beds and seals along the way.
After more than four hours in the water, she completed the swim! Not bad for someone who only discovered her love for distance swimming this year!
Mia is already looking ahead to her next challenge: a double Robben Island swim to raise further funds for ‘Stroke for Hope’ and as Mia says, “For me, the goal is no longer just about how far I can swim, but how many lives I can help change along the way.”
