Africa-Press – Kenya. Meru-based swimmer Adia Mwende has set her sights on the Olympic Games and the World Aquatics Championships following a stellar performance at the Nairobi Sprints and Relays Swimming Championship held at Kiota School.
Mwende dominated her age category with a blend of confidence, technique and composure beyond her years, sweeping all her races to underline her growing promise in the pool.
Her coach, Alex Kaindi, said the long-term target is to see her represent the country within the next five to 10 years. “She is on a good trajectory and we are looking in the long term to represent the country in the big swimming championships and events,” noted Kaindi.
He added that with proper guidance and a structured long-term athlete development plan, Mwende has the potential to develop into a top competitor. Mwende posted impressive times across multiple disciplines, clocking 28.80 seconds in the 25m breaststroke, 25.23 in the 25m backstroke, 22.14 in the 25m butterfly and 19.29 in the 25m freestyle.
She also claimed top honours in the 100m individual medley in 1:56.17 and the 50m freestyle in 43.04 seconds. Notably, she shaved 7.38 seconds off her previous mark in the 100m individual medley, highlighting her rapid improvement and endurance.
Omar Omari, the technical director at Kenya Aquatics, praised Mwende’s achievement while speaking from Johannesburg, where he is on a sports development tour.
He said her performance has put Meru firmly on the national swimming map, pointing to the untapped potential in counties beyond traditional urban centres.
Omari reiterated the federation’s commitment to growing the sport through closer collaboration with counties and local clubs, revealing plans to establish high-performance training centres across the country, with Meru among the regions under consideration.
He added that Highland Group of Schools will play a key role, with plans underway to construct a 10-lane heated, half-Olympic-size swimming pool—an investment expected to further boost the region’s emerging swimming profile.
