The independent school Group, Curro Holdings, unveiled its inaugural AquaElite gala which brought the country’s top swimmers to compete on 1 and 2 October. Hosted by Curro Hillcrest, the one-of-a-kind competition transformed school swimming competitions, delivering an ocean of excitement and inspiration.
Curro has been making waves in the world of sports education and athletic triumph for the past 25 years, garnering a reputation for being committed to sporting excellence and the development of young South African champions. The Group is setting new standards and shaping champions in and out of the pool by creating career pathways, forging powerful partnerships, and transforming entire communities.
The competition saw 32 schools from across the country competing with each school only being allowed to enter six swimmers. State-of-the-art touch timing pads were used at the gala to ensure precise race timing but also open doors for swimmers to be considered for national selection.
“Curro is immensely proud to have played a pivotal role in nurturing the talents of some of the nation’s future top swimmers through our very first Curro AquaElite Gala. Our goal was to introduce a fresh and innovative approach to swimming competitions, setting it apart from the galas that are usually held regionally,” says Jacques Nel, Business Manager at Curro Sport.
“Congratulations to all the winners especially Jessica Carmody from St Mary’s DSG for her outstanding achievement in winning the Best Performance by a Female title and to Keyontae Raynard from Durban High School for his remarkable accomplishment in securing the Best Performance by a Male title. Their dedication and skill truly exemplify the spirit of Curro AquaElite.”
The complete list of winners is included below:
| CO-ED TEAM AWARDS | ||
| Rank | Primary School | High School |
| 1st | Penzance Primary School | Curro Hillcrest |
| 2nd | Glenwood prep | Curro Hazeldean high school |
| 3rd | Curro Hillcrest Christian Academy | Sentraal High School |
| TEAM AWARDS | ||||
| Rank | Junior Girls | Junior Boys | Senior Girls | Senior Boys |
| 1st | Penzance Primary School | Penzance Primary School | Curro Hillcrest | Durban High School |
| 2nd | Curro Hillcrest Christian Academy | Glenwood prep | St Mary’s DSG | Curro Hazeldean high school A |
| 3rd | St Mary’s DSG | Winston Park Primary School | Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje | Curro Hillcrest |
| INDIVIDUAL AWARDS | ||
| Award | Name | School |
| Junior Victrix | Payton Aitken | Penzance primary school |
| Junior Victor | Everraud Raynard | Penzance primary school |
| Senior Victrix | Jessica Carmody | St Mary’s DGS |
| Senior Victor | Kayontae Raynard | Durban high school |
| Best performance by a female | Jessica Carmody | St Mary’s DSG |
| Best performance by a male | Keyontae Raynard | Durban high school |
The AquaElite Gala ended with a professional coaching clinic showcase on 3 October, hosted by international Olympic swimmer, Brett Hawke. Swimmers of all ages dream of learning from the best, and this event made that dream a reality.
