From first-race nerves and sibling celebrations to international experience, personal bests and lessons in teamwork, the Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships are proving that swimming is about much more than the medals hanging around athletes’ necks.
At the Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships in Kampala, the scoreboard tells one story, but the swimmers have plenty more to share. Behind every dive, splash and race to the finishing wall are stories of nerves, excitement, personal victories, friendly rivalries and lessons that stretch far beyond the swimming pool.
For some, it is about climbing the podium. For others, it is about finding their rhythm after a disappointing start, learning from faster competitors or simply enjoying the rare opportunity to represent their country alongside swimmers from across the region.
And if the athletes have anything to say about it, Zone III is as much about having fun as it is about chasing times.
Sibling goals and second chances
The championships have already delivered a reason to smile for Mackayla Ssali, and it comes with a family bonus.
Her opening race did not quite go according to plan, with the Ugandan admitting that she was unhappy with her first performance. But rather than allow one disappointing swim to define her competition, she bounced back, found her confidence and made it onto the podium.
“I’m happy with the way I performed,” she said, reflecting on her recovery. “I came back, and I’m very happy with how I’ve performed.”
The podium finish was satisfying on its own, but there was an extra reason to celebrate: her brother also made the podium in similar events.
For Ssali, seeing them both perform well was a reminder that the hard work they put into training is beginning to pay off.
“It shows that our training is working,” she said, delighted that they had both managed to improve and deliver strong performances.
The captain’s call: Keep calm and stay consistent
While individual swimmers work on their own performances, Team Uganda captain Nathan Nsereko has a bigger picture to consider. Having competed in the 50m breaststroke and the 4x50m freestyle relay, Nsereko admitted that the level of competition was challenging at first. Racing against a field filled with fast and experienced swimmers can be intimidating, but he has chosen to see it as an opportunity rather than a burden. “It was really fun because I got the opportunity to swim with a lot of fast swimmers and really experienced swimmers,” he said.
That experience is particularly valuable as the championships approach their final stages, where the pressure to deliver can grow with every race.
For Nsereko, the message to his teammates is straightforward: do not abandon what has been working. His charge to Team Uganda is to remain concentrated, consistent and motivated, maintaining the routines that brought them this far instead of allowing the pressure to dictate their performances.
Matthew Mwase is chasing the clock
For Matthew Mwase, the championships are a personal measuring stick. He has enjoyed his races so far and hopes to improve as the competition progresses. But while a good finishing position would certainly be welcome, his main target is to record good times.
His approach is refreshingly simple: swim well, check the clock and let the results follow.
“My expectation was really just to make good times and hopefully good placing, but that happens through good times,” he explained.
Mwase will make his final assessment of his performance when the meet concludes, but he already appreciates what regional competitions offer young swimmers.
Beyond the medals and finishing positions, the championships expose athletes to unfamiliar opponents, different competitive environments and a higher standard of racing.
Gloria Muzito brings home more than medals
Few things compare to representing your country abroad. But for Gloria Muzito, returning home to compete in front of Ugandan fans and alongside the next generation of swimmers carries its own special feeling.
Fresh from her international experience in Hungary and the Commonwealth Games, Muzito is delighted to be back in Uganda for the Zone III Championships.
Rather than feeling weighed down by expectations, she has embraced the opportunity to reconnect with home, compete with her teammates and inspire the younger swimmers watching her.
“It just means a lot for me to be able to do that,” she said of representing Uganda at home and interacting with the younger athletes.
She has also been impressed by the organisation of the championships and the atmosphere around the pool, describing the experience as wonderful and praising the work that has gone into making the competition happen. For an athlete who continues to improve her times and break records, the secret is not simply about pushing harder. Muzito points to hard work and self-discipline, but she also insists that enjoyment must remain part of the process.
Her advice to the young swimmers making their regional debut is perhaps the simplest and most important lesson of the entire competition. “Don’t forget to have fun,” she said. “No matter how hard it is, just push through. It’s always worth it in the end.”
Andrew Ryland learns to live with the pressure
For Andrew Matthew Ryland, butterfly is his preferred stroke, but managing expectations is becoming another important part of his swimming repertoire.
The Ugandan has enjoyed competing at Zone III, praising the standard of racing and the quality of the pool. He also relishes the opportunity to return to Uganda and take part in the regional championships. However, he arrives with an interesting challenge. Having recently won a World Cup event and set a World Cup record, Ryland knows that the bar has risen.
Improving significantly means that finding another personal best will require even more work. Success, it seems, comes with the responsibility of trying to outdo yourself.
“It’s going to be hard to get PBs, I’m going to have to put a lot more work in,” he said.
Still, the pressure is not entirely unwelcome. Ryland believes competing against strong international fields helps him become more accustomed to high-stakes racing. Representing Uganda also adds another layer of motivation, pushing him to perform even better.
But he recognises that there is still room for growth, particularly when it comes to keeping his nerves under control against high-profile opponents.
Looking towards the final competitions of his swimming year, including the World Championships should he qualify, Ryland wants to learn how to remain calm when the biggest names are lined up beside him.
For now, Zone III offers another opportunity to practise that skill in an environment where the competition is serious, but the experience is enjoyable.
Tanzania’s Mark Tibazarwa finds strength in the team
Across the pool, Tanzania captain Mark Tibazarwa has been watching his team grow into the competition. The championships did not begin entirely smoothly, with some initial complications involving timings. But as the days have progressed, he has seen improvements in the races and performances of his teammates.
The quality of the pool and the introductions athletes receive when called up to compete have also added to the experience, helping swimmers feel recognised and ready to race.
Tanzania came to Kampala hoping to represent the country well, record good times and deliver strong performances. According to Tibazarwa, the team has exceeded expectations in several cases. Even where a swim has not gone as planned, there has been progress in subsequent races.
That willingness to improve is particularly important for a team made up of swimmers from different clubs. Being together at a regional championship creates an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from other coaches and identify areas of technique that might otherwise go unnoticed.
“For us, as a team, just being around different people … and getting the information from different coaches as well, it just helps us progress further,” Tibazarwa explained.
His experience captures one of the quieter benefits of regional competitions: swimmers do not have to win every race to return home better than they arrived. Sometimes, a conversation with another athlete or a fresh observation from a different coach can make the difference.
More than Medals
At the Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships, the athletes are not just swimming for the scoreboard. They are learning, growing, encouraging one another and discovering that sometimes the biggest victory is leaving the pool a better swimmer than the one who dived in.