Swimmers gear up for Silverfin's Pentathlon at KISU

Over 600 youngsters from 26 clubs are set to compete in the 6th Silverfin Pentathlon at the Kampala International School of Uganda (KISU) pool on May 9-10.

The pentathlon is a five-event race in which all participating swimmers compete in four strokes of equal distance and the 100/200-meter individual medley.

The event presents an opportunity for athletes to routinely test their performance and strokes in a competitive environment, improve performance, learn, and connect within the swimming community.

Addressing the press ahead of the event at ASIFIWE International School in Kisaasi, the chairperson of the Silverfin Pentathlon Committee, Laura Mulenga, said many swimmers have signed up and that they are looking forward to quality and excellence in the pool to surpass last year's standards.

She was joined by co-founder Naome Wandera, coaches Benon Binta Wamala, Brenda Uwimaana Kabaale, and Jamil Tamale, as well as sponsors’ representatives Emmanuel Rutaremwa (Nivana), Hellen Agume Oketcho (The Makeover Place), and Creed Brian (Blacklyf).

Mulenga noted that the event is backed by strong partners, including Pepsi, Uganda's first D2C audio and wearable electronics brand Blacklyf, The Makeover Place, White Water Rafting, and KISU.

Coach Binta said there will be prizes and certificates for top swimmers in the following age groups: 6-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17 and over. Swimmers will compete in the 50m fly, 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, and 100m individual medley.

Wandera noted that the competition gives swimmers a benchmark to monitor themselves and equips them with goal-setting skills. "A child who cannot plan for when they are 14, for when they are 16, may burn out now through overtraining or losing track because they don't have a benchmark across the whole spectrum."

Rutaremwa said they will supply 60 cartons of Nivana water for the two-day event and are looking forward to further support, as they have many brands that resonate with children and high school students.

Creed Bryan, Marketing Executive at Blacklyf, hailed Silverfin for the amazing work of inspiring young people and teaching them to swim. "At Blacklyf, we believe in activities that promote discipline, community development, and wellness, and swimming represents all that. And that's what Silverfin is actually doing. We have products that can enhance swimming performance. For example, our latest smartwatch, Black Fit X, is waterproof. You can swim with it and track your performance. We shall also give away other items like speakers, headphones, and smart watches."

Hellen Agume Oketcho said they will sponsor three swimmers with gift cards to have their hair done at any of their locations. "We're among the top natural hair salons in the city, and particularly we're big on locs. As you know, locs is a very convenient hairstyle for a young swimmer."