The Tuks swimmer, Catherine van Rensburg, has decided not to defend the aQuellé Midmar Mile women's title she won last year, meaning a new champion will be crowned next month.
Purely judged on her performances last year, Callan Lotter (Tuks) will be a definite contender. She finished second last year in the Midmar event. It was the last time she was beaten in an open-water swim event in Africa.
If Lotter does win Midmar, it will mean Tuks's women's swimmers would complete a unique hat-trick. Torry Earle won in 2024.
But it is not going to be easy going. The open-water superstar, Sharon van Rouwendaal, who won the 10km at the Paris Olympics, will also be in action at the Midmar Mile. The Dutch swimmer was victorious in 2023.
According to Lotter, Van Rouwendaal might opt not to compete in the women's elite race. But to her, it does not matter what the Dutch swimmer chose to do. When it comes to racing, only one thing matters, and that is to win.
"My goal remains the same every time I race. It's to win because then I have a goal to work towards. When it comes to the Midmar, I'm a novice. This is only the third time I will be competing. The first time, I finished eighth or ninth. I'm not sure.
"I enjoy swimming the Midmar because it's something different. You only have to swim in a straight line and worry about nothing else. I definitely don't know what the secret to winning the Midmar is. I still need to work it out for myself. My coach, Troyden Prinsloo, however, has won the Midmar. I am sure he would be able to give me a few tips."
Lotter was in sterling form last year. At the South African Championships, she claimed victory in the 10 km, 5 km, 1.5 km races, and the 3 km knockout event. At the African Champs in Kenya, she won the 3- and 5-kilometre races. Lotter was also victorious at an African Cup event in Guinea.
The 19-year-old secured 16th place in all three of the individual events she contested at the Singapore World Championships – the 5km and 10km as well as the newly introduced 3km knockout swim. That was a marked improvement on the 29th place she achieved in the 10km the previous time she competed at the World Champs.
"Competing at Worlds boosted my motivation to learn as much as possible from each race and use the experience in my future racing. It makes me more determined to swim and compete with the best open water swimmers in the world.
"To me, success and long hours of training go hand in hand. There are days when I don't feel like training, but I never complain. I know what I am working towards. I firmly believe that you never do anything for nothing.
"That's why I kept going. Every day, there was something I could work harder on to swim better. The group of swimmers I train with helps me enjoy the long, hard hours in the pool," said Lotte