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Orca Swim Club shine at Kiambu County Aquatics Association gala
Walgwe Tweri,11, from Orca Swimming Club in action in 100m freestyle at the Kiambu County Aquatics Association sprints and relays swimming gala on May 24-25 at Regis Runda in Kiambu County.
Orca Swim Club stole the show at the Kiambu County Aquatics Association (KCAA) Sprints and Relays Swimming gala held on May 24-25 at Regis Runda in Kiambu County after emerging overall winners.
The event brought together over 400 swimmers participating in more than 1,733 events, highlighting individual brilliance and teamwork. It attracted notable institutions including Woodcreek School, Porterhouse School, Juja St. Peter’s, Orca Swim Club, Nawiri Swimming Club, USIU Dolphins, and Mount Kenya University, among others.
One of the standout performances came from seven-year-old Barack Laja of Orca Swim Club, who broke the meet record in the 25m butterfly with a time of 19 seconds, clinching gold in the process.
Another notable swimmer was 14-year-old Faith Mugweru from Crawford International School, who took gold in the 100m Individual Medley, clocking 1:34.93. She credited her win to dedicated training.
“I knew the competition would be tough, so I worked hard. This gala served as good preparation for the Kenya Aquatics Long Course Nationals at Kasarani on May 31,” she said.
In the 18-and-over 50m butterfly, USIU Dolphins’ Sean Odera, 19, led the pack with a time of 32.34 seconds and expressed optimism about improving in future meets.
The gala wasn’t just about competition—it was a platform to nurture future talent. Nancy Karanja, a parent from Goldfish Nanyuki, called for similar events across Kenya, especially in the Mount Kenya region, to encourage participation in swimming.
Crawford International School’s head coach, Omar Omari, said the event was crucial for evaluating swimmers in readiness for the national Long Course Championships. Winners of that event will represent Kenya at the World Aquatics Long Course, Open Water, and Masters Championships in Singapore in August 2025.
Kenya Aquatics executive member and Head of Mombasa Aquatics, Kahindo Mureithi urged all eligible swimmers to participate in the upcoming nationals. She emphasised the importance of fairness in both competition and national team selection.
In team results, Crawford International School topped the girls’ category with 46 medals (16 gold, 13 silver, 17 bronze), followed by Woodcreek School (15 gold, three silver, three bronze), and Orca Swim Club (13 gold, six silver, four bronze).
In the boys’ events, Orca led with 39 gold, 19 silver, and 15 bronze. Crawford followed with 40 medals (14 gold, 10 silver, 16 bronze), while USIU Dolphins finished third with eight gold, eight silver, and one bronze.
Orca Swim Club claimed the overall title with 104 medals (55 gold, 28 silver, 21 bronze), ahead of Crawford (33 gold, 29 silver, 36 bronze) and Woodcreek (21 gold, 16 silver, 12 bronze).
A significant development was the acquisition of a digital timing system from the USA, enhancing timing accuracy compared to the manual system. The Governor of KCAA, Gedion Kioko hailed the system as a major boost for the region’s swimming events.
The gala’s guest of honour was Poland-based Kenyan international swimmer Sara Mose, who competed at the World Championships and African Games in 2024. Accompanied by her mother, Magdalena, Sara urged the young swimmers to remain disciplined, focused, and consistent. Magdalena recounted their 12-year journey of commitment and perseverance, revealing that Sara now has her eyes set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Kenya Aquatics Secretary General Collins Marigiri thanked parents and Kiambu stakeholders for their contributions to a successful gala. He also praised the KCAA technical team for mentoring upcoming swimming officials, reinforcing the association’s commitment to developing the sport across all levels.