Our next Rising Star is 11-year old Layla, a student at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi. Layla has been swimming for her entire life after she was introduced to the sport by her Mum, who also happens to be an excellent swimmer.
When we ask Layla why she loves swimming so much, she tells us, “swimming is just a great sport! I have made lots of friends through swimming, and it’s a fun way to stay fit and healthy. It is also a great way to recover from injuries”.
With some impressive accomplishments already under her belt, Layla has big dreams to continue making a splash in the world of swimming, which she hopes to achieve with the help of her coaches at 4th Lane Swim Academy.
“Swimming is just a great sport! I have made lots of friends through swimming, and it’s a fun way to stay fit and healthy".
In this year’s “Schools Got Talent”, a contest not too dissimilar from the popular show “America’s Got Talent”, Layla came in third place overall and first place in the swimming category- a seriously impressive feat given that there were almost 500 children in the contest competing from a very wide range of sports. Based on children’s times and technique in their relevant sports, the judges initially selected the best 25 children, and then the top 3, before selecting an eventual winner.
In the future, Layla dreams of competing in the 2024 Olympics, and would love to swim butterfly for the UAE National team. Her personal best for swimming butterfly over 50 metres is 32 seconds (we know, how amazing!), which Layla is working hard to reduce to just 30 seconds as she works towards her olympic dreams. If Layla’s determination and passion for swimming is anything to go by, we have no doubt that she will realise her dream in the not too distant future- and that was before we even saw her in the pool!
Layla has three idols, who she tells us are her biggest fans and huge supporters in helping her to achieve her swimming dreams; her mum, her dad, and her coach, Oliver, from 4th Lane Swim Academy.
For any children who are thinking of getting into swimming, Layla has this advice, “my advice would be to join a team like 4th Lane Swim Academy- the coaches are really encouraging and supportive, and if you don’t have much experience in swimming, they’ll be make you feel very comfortable and confident in the water. Plus, it’s a fun environment to make friends through as well.”
About 4th Lane Swim Academy
The whole ethos behind 4th Lane Swim Academy is to provide quality training and learning experiences for all ages and abilities, supporting the development of new swimmers to the competitive side of the sport.
4th Lane Swim Academy’s “Long Term Athlete Development” approach focuses on the general framework of athlete development, with special reference to growth and progression by incorporating a clear plan and vision.
