Skinner continues to swim during lockdown
With sports events postponed, swimmer Xander Skinner uses a rain-filled dam to stay fit.
LIMBA MUPETAMI
WINDHOEK
Countless athletes' lives have been flipped upside down due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent countrywide lockdown, but local swimmer Xander Skinner is one of the lucky few who has managed to keep training.
Skinner has been using a dam filled with rainwater on their family farm, Omburu Sud Hunting Safaris, to keep fit.
With gyms, pools and other training facilities closed until at least 4 May, Skinner hasn't been sitting idle.
He tries to swim six hours a week and continues to cycle and do at-home workouts. The swimmer added that his dad has been a massive help during this time, swimming right behind him and urging him on.
Showers of blessings
The dam, which was bone dry last year, filled up in January thanks to the good rainfall most of the country experienced.
'Usually I swim 18 hours a week, but now that is not possible,' Skinner said.
But swimming outdoors comes with its own challenges. Asked whether he's afraid of snakes in the water, Skinner admitted he was at first, but after a few sessions, his fears faded.
'If you have a fear of sharks, you will never swim in the ocean again,' he said.
He mentioned that his coaches send him workouts, adding that it's important to not only stay active, but to stay safe as well.
Achievements
Skinner competed in the African Games in Morocco in 2019, competing in the 50, 100 and 200-metre freestyle as well as the 100m backstroke and the 50 and 100m butterfly.
In 2017, he was part of the team that competed at the World Aquatics Championship in South Korea, taking the 56th and 60th positions in the 100 and 200m freestyle, respectively.
He also competed in the 2016 African Championships in Bloemfontein, taking sixth and eighth places in the 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly respectively. The swimmer is a third-year exercise science and sports performance student at the University of McKendree in Lebanon, Illinois.
WINDHOEK
Countless athletes' lives have been flipped upside down due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent countrywide lockdown, but local swimmer Xander Skinner is one of the lucky few who has managed to keep training.
Skinner has been using a dam filled with rainwater on their family farm, Omburu Sud Hunting Safaris, to keep fit.
With gyms, pools and other training facilities closed until at least 4 May, Skinner hasn't been sitting idle.
He tries to swim six hours a week and continues to cycle and do at-home workouts. The swimmer added that his dad has been a massive help during this time, swimming right behind him and urging him on.
Showers of blessings
The dam, which was bone dry last year, filled up in January thanks to the good rainfall most of the country experienced.
'Usually I swim 18 hours a week, but now that is not possible,' Skinner said.
But swimming outdoors comes with its own challenges. Asked whether he's afraid of snakes in the water, Skinner admitted he was at first, but after a few sessions, his fears faded.
'If you have a fear of sharks, you will never swim in the ocean again,' he said.
He mentioned that his coaches send him workouts, adding that it's important to not only stay active, but to stay safe as well.
Achievements
Skinner competed in the African Games in Morocco in 2019, competing in the 50, 100 and 200-metre freestyle as well as the 100m backstroke and the 50 and 100m butterfly.
In 2017, he was part of the team that competed at the World Aquatics Championship in South Korea, taking the 56th and 60th positions in the 100 and 200m freestyle, respectively.
He also competed in the 2016 African Championships in Bloemfontein, taking sixth and eighth places in the 100m backstroke and 50m butterfly respectively. The swimmer is a third-year exercise science and sports performance student at the University of McKendree in Lebanon, Illinois.
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