At 17, Grace Holloway Mulder is redefining what it means to be a young athlete, balancing elite provincial sport across five codes with discipline, grit, and early morning ocean training.
Before most of Durban has woken, Grace Holloway Mulder is already in motion. At 5am, the 17-year-old from St Mary’s DSG in Kloof is either at the beach, in the pool, or preparing for another demanding day that blends elite sport, academic pressure and relentless discipline.
By mid-afternoon, school is over. But for Grace, the day is not. Her life moves between surf ski paddles, soccer boots, water polo caps, lifesaving events and homework done late into the evening. It is a rhythm few teenagers could sustain. Yet for her, it has become second nature.
Grace’s sporting journey began at just two years old with soccer. From there, sport became less of a hobby and more of a language she speaks fluently across multiple codes.
She has competed in gymnastics, swimming, tennis, netball, softball, cross-country, diving, water polo, soccer and both surf and stillwater lifesaving. Over the past six years, she has earned provincial colours 15 times across five sports and represented KwaZulu-Natal in numerous teams.
Despite the scale of her achievements, she smiles when she explains it. “If you are passionate about something, you somehow find the time. It doesn’t always feel like effort.”
That mindset recently carried her to victory at the inaugural Forex People KZN Schools League Race during Paddle Fest 2026, where she won the U18 girls’ surf ski division in testing ocean conditions.
“It was a good race because you’re not just racing your age group,” she said. “You’re on the start line with older, stronger athletes, and it honestly shows you what you’re capable of and where you still want to go.”
Grace’s routine is defined by structure rather than spontaneity.
“I wake up at 4am, then it is training, then school, then more sport,” she said. “School always comes first, but everything else just fits around it somehow.”
Discipline, she explains, is not about motivation.
“It is so easy to stay in bed,” she admits. “You just have to do it anyway. I try plan properly, go to bed earlier, and make sure I get things done, even when I don’t feel like it.”
When it all starts to feel like too much, she does not stop entirely. Instead, she resets.
“I might go to the beach and just surf, or I’ll do something completely different, like read or switch off from everything for a bit. That helps me come back better.”
For Grace, the ocean is both training ground and classroom.
“It is nature. You see dolphins, sharks, everything,” she said. “It keeps you grounded, but also on edge in a good way because nothing ever stays the same out there.”
Surf ski paddling, in particular, demands more than physical strength.
“The bigger the surf, the more challenging it is,” she said. “You need to think, read the water, adjust quickly. If you are not switched on, it will catch you out.”
It is this unpredictability she enjoys most. “Flat water is boring,” she laughs. “The ocean makes you earn every second.”
Unlike many athletes, Grace does not shy away from pressure.
“I actually perform better when I am up against stronger athletes,” she said. “It pushes me in a way comfort never can.”
That mentality has been shaped over years of playing in boys’ teams, captaining school sides and competing in high-stakes provincial environments.
“You cannot expect to win every time,” she said. “Even when you’ve done it before, you still have to show up and prove it again.”
Failure, she adds, has become part of growth rather than something to fear.
“Things don’t always go your way. You take it, you learn, and you come back better. That’s just how it is.”
Outside competition, Grace is also a coach, business owner and lifeguard.
She runs Surf Side Mali Training, where she coaches younger athletes at Durban Surf Lifesaving Club, while also creating and selling surf-inspired bracelets and hair accessories which she sells at 3 Piers Coffee Co.
“I really enjoy it,” she said. “Helping younger kids understand the sport and feel confident in the water is pretty special.”
Her commitment to lifesaving extends beyond sport. She has completed real rescues at North Beach and regularly volunteers at major aquatic events.
“If you see someone who needs help, you don’t really think twice,” she said. “You just go. Because if you don’t, who will?”
Despite her sporting success, Grace is clear she does not want to narrow herself too soon.
“It would take the fun out of it,” she said. “I like having all of it, the variety, the challenge, everything.”
Her ambitions stretch beyond sport into medicine, possibly neurosurgery, alongside hopes of representing South Africa in lifesaving at senior level.
“I’d love to represent my country,” she said, “but I also want to study medicine. I think both matter to me in different ways. Sport is part of who I am, but it’s not the only part.”
And as she continues to balance early mornings, ocean swells and classroom pressure, Grace is not chasing perfection but progress, one day, one tide, one start line at a time.
In the fast lane with Grace
A quick look into Grace’s personality off the field, from early mornings and ocean training to creative downtime and big ambitions.
Early mornings or late nights? Early mornings
Beach or pool? Beach
One word teammates would use? Commanding
Something surprising? I enjoy painting and crafts
Biggest goal? To represent South Africa
