Curro Hazeldean High School, the renowned independent school in Pretoria, has made a big splash in the swimming world, having risen from the F league to the pinnacle of the A league. The stellar achievement comes almost a decade after the school’s swimming was started in 2013, by coaches Thea Dyer and Karen Lindeque. Since then, determined swimmers have been working hard to hone their skills and techniques in the pool and progress through the High School Swimming League.

In 2020, the champion swimming team dove into the B League before the pandemic interrupted their progress. Remaining undeterred, the team, which is captained by current Grade 12 learners Amy Müller and Joshua Miller, continued swimming against the tide, training hard and leaving no stroke unturned. Their hard work has paid off, propelling them to the top of the league and earning them a place among the country’s most elite high school swimmers. “We’re thrilled to have achieved this fantastic milestone in our swimming programme. Our learners have shown that they have the determination and skills to compete at the highest level. They have also set the bar high for others to follow, and their success is a reminder that anyone can achieve great things if they have passion and perseverance. We are incredibly proud of the team and are excited to see how they tackle the challenges of the A league,” says Pierre le Roux, Executive Head at Curro Hazeldean.

Curro Hazeldean Swimming

Curro Hazeldean’s rise to the A league is a testament to the power of teamwork, determination, and excellent facilities. Head swimming coach, Ruan van Zyl, together with Alexis Phiri (Assistant School Swimming Coach) and Anneke Nortjé (Swimming Administrator) have played an instrumental role in supporting enthusiastic swimmers to excel under the school’s fantastic swimming program and preparing them for the high and low tides.

“Being part of the Hazie Current swimming team for the last four years has been a huge honour and privilege. When I started swimming in 2019, the A-league was nothing but a distant dream but our small school has always had big dreams and aspirations to achieve greater things in the pool. Being able to achieve this goal is just fantastic. We have left a legacy and will never forget this milestone achievement in our lives,” says Amy Muller, senior national level swimmer and team captain.

The school’s heated indoor pool, which was completed in 2016, has also aided swimmers to quickly progress into the fast lane. The state-of-the-art pool, which is also used by the University of Pretoria as a satellite training pool, was where South African Olympian gold medallist Tatjana Schoenmaker broke the African short course breaststroke record in September 2020. Highly decorated Tuks swimming coach, Rocco Meiring also used the facility for the South African National Senior swimmers in 2022 in preparation of the Common Wealth Games.