The athlete broke the African record and grabbed bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB12 at the Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester.
Alani Ferreira won a bronze medal at the 2023 Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester. Picture: @TeamSA2024/Twitter.
JOHANNESBURG – Team South Africa brought home four medals and a bucket full of African records from the Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester.
One of the medals belongs to swimmer Alani Ferreira who shared her experience of global exposure with Eyewitness News.
This is after competed on a world stage from 31 July 2023 to 6 August 2023 at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.
“I knew going into the race there was a chance but that it would be a fight for the bronze. Being visually impaired, when I touched the wall I could hear the crowd and my teammates shouting. But I was unsure whether it was for an African record or the bronze, so I tried to figure it out by showing them a three, but I couldn’t make anything out,” said Ferreira.
FILE: Alani Ferreira won a bronze medal at the 2023 Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester. Picture: Alani Ferreira/Facebook.
The athlete broke the African record and grabbed bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB12 event.
SB12 category is for swimmers with a visual impairment who have a restricted field of view and some cannot see the black line on the bottom of the pool. They can see the end of the lane from one metre away.
“When I exited the pool I asked my one tapper for the race, Theo Verster, whether I got the bronze, and he confirmed it. At that point, I burst into tears which were quickly followed by ‘What was my time?’ Although I was unbelievably humbled and grateful to have won the bronze, I was still hoping to have swum a faster time.”
Congratulations to Alani Ferreira who won a Bronze medal in the Woman’s SB12 100m breaststroke at the Manchester 2023 Allianz Para Swimming World Championships. What an amazing achievement. Your dedication and determination have paid off. pic.twitter.com/qJbVYVSX0I
‘ Retinal Realities (@retinal_reality) August 4, 2023
Like many para-athletes in South Africa, the 25-year-old had to juggle a full-time job and training for the World Championships – which meant leaving home at 5am and returning at 7pm.
During this period she ensured that her work commitments were fulfilled before jumping into the pool to train.
“The preparation that went into these world champs was a little different compared to my usual build-ups. Previously, I was always a student-athlete whereas now I am a working athlete. Trying to balance and excel in both my swimming and work career was definitely a challenge for me.”
She told Eyewitness News that though she trained outside of squad hours on her own, she had a great support system that kept her focused on the bigger picture.
We are immensely proud of all our para-swimmers who competed valiantly at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Christiaan Sadie, Cornelle Leach and Alani Ferreira, you swam your hearts out. Well done! #YearOfTalent #SASAPD #Birmingham2022 pic.twitter.com/MqEmj4HQcM
‘ ???? SASAPD ???? (@SASAPD) August 5, 2022
“Apart from the physical preparation, I also had to mentally prepare to focus on what I believed I could and hopefully would achieve. Using tools such as visualisation as well as making a notebook of all the things to focus on for each race. I clearly remember standing behind the block of the finals thinking: ‘I have waited seven years for this opportunity, it’s now or never’.”
The two-time Paralympian was diagnosed with Stargardts Macular Dystrophy at age 12 after noticing delays when playing tennis and trouble sight-reading the piano.
“So, I am a visually impaired swimmer and have a genetic eye disorder called stargardt macular dystrophy that started affecting me around the age of six but was only diagnosed at age 12. Essentially the disorder has led to me having no central vision and a loss of depth perception.”
????????An unforgettable moment for Alani Ferreira, as she proudly steps onto the podium to receive her Bronze medal! Congrats, Alani! Your #ParaSwimming journey is an inspiration!???? #Manchester2023 #ForMyCountry ????????????♀️???? pic.twitter.com/druidjJLTW
‘ Team South Africa (@TeamSA2024) August 3, 2023
The athlete swam at her first Paralympic Games in 2018 and won her first World Champs medal in Manchester. She hopes to compete at a few Para Swimming World Series events with the goal of representing SA in the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.
“What I always love about Para sporting events is that disability is viewed as a norm. We use our strengths to assist where others may have weaknesses and I believe that this should be something that is a universal practice,” said Ferreira.
READ MORE:
– Winning gold at World Champs was an emotional affair for para-swimmer Swanepoel
– Kat Swanepoel has her sights on 2023 World Champs
Believe it, #AlaniFerreira ????????❤️#TeamSA#Tokyo2020#Paralympics pic.twitter.com/cSpMk3VxRD
‘ Team South Africa (@TeamSA2024) August 20, 2021
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