GEORGE ATHLETICS NEWS - Not many athletes can boast of winning 21 medals in five different South African swimming championships in one month. But this is exactly what local athlete Tanya Osborne achieved in March this year.
She excelled in the SA Open Water Swim, SA Masters Swimming, SA Masters Life Saving Surf, SA Masters Life Saving Fresh Water (pool) and SA Modern Biathlon Championships.
Her winning streak started on Saturday 2 March at Marina Martinique where she won a silver medal in the SA Open Water Swimming Championship. Then came the SA Masters Swimming Championship in PE from Wednesday to Saturday, 20 to 23 March in Port Elizabeth.
The Open Water swim was once again held at Marina Martinique and Tanya was the first woman over the finishing line in the 1km, winning gold in her age group.
At the pool events in Newton Park she won five gold medals and one silver medal. She swam a personal best time in the 200im, 400im, 50 fly and 100 fly.
On Sunday 21 March it was straight back into competition at the SA Masters Lifesaving Surf Championship at Kings Beach where she won three gold medals in the surf swim, the run/swim/run and Malibu Board events, two silvers in the Beach Sprint and Beach Flags events and one bronze in the 2km beach run.
On Monday 22 March she returned to Newton Park pool for the SA Masters Fresh Water Championship, winning three golds for the 200m obstacle race, 50m Manikin Rescue and the 100m Manikin Recovery. All were South African records.
She was, unfortunately, disqualified from the 100m Manikin Tow - due to unruly manikin behaviour - which cost her another SA record. To make up for that disappointment she won one gold and two silver medals in the relay events.
Tanya had a week-long break before she headed back to Port Elizabeth for the South African Modern Biathlon Championships on Saturday 30 March where she won a bronze medal.
Tanya has natural talent in abundance but it still takes a lot of dedication, training and hard work to realise such a fantastic achievement. She trains daily under Mimette Salter of the Royal Swimming Academy (RSA) in George. She is an inspiration to her fellow Fish Eagle Master swimmers and is always ready to give motivation, support and advice.
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