Kisawuzi aims for 50m fly national record in Lima

Tara Kisawuzi going for records. PHOTO/ISMAIL KEZAALA

What you need to know:

Her eureka moment came at the Nationals in November last year when she upset the field to win the girls' 200m breaststroke.  Kisawuzi glided from fourth place after 150m to upset highly-rated competition in Swagiah Mubiru, Rahmah Kalungi Nakasule and Martina Antisha.


Tara Kisawuzi almost came out of nowhere.


Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she was hardly known beyond Altona Swim Club and some circles of Seals Swim Club.


"I started swimming at Seals in 2017 then came to Altona in 2019 to improve my level," Kisawuzi shares with SCORE.


Her reasons for switching are hardly fathomable because Seals ranked higher than Altona then. But for those who had closely watched how Altona's swimmers had performed at the Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) National Club Championships in 2018 and 2019, there was clearly something brewing at the then Centenary Park-based club.


Kisawuzi is also a swimmer that thrives on having someone wrap a hand around her shoulder either to provide tough love when she is not living up to expectation or pump her up in the face of fierce competition. 


And in the coaches at Altona starting with their head Erick Kisero and Joshua Lule, who manages her team Colts in the in-house Uganda Swimming League, she has found vital companionship.


The league, where Kisawuzi goes head to head against some of her club's rising stars like Abigail Mwagale and Paula Nabukeera, has helped her "not to feel pressure in competitions anymore."


The competition there is younger but the intensity is worth it "because I know the margins I have to create between me and them in the pool. And I am also good competition for them to raise the level of our club."


During the pandemic, Kisawuzi - nearly turning 13 - and her club-mates quietly put in the work both outside the pool and inside, whenever government chose to relax the guidelines on resumption of sports from the lockdown.


She also plays other sports like football, basketball and tennis "for leisure and to lose weight".


Pushing boundaries 

Her eureka moment came at the Nationals in November last year when she upset the field to win the girls' 200m breaststroke.


Kisawuzi glided from fourth place after 150m to upset highly-rated competition in Swagiah Mubiru, Rahmah Kalungi Nakasule and Martina Antisha.


Kisawuzi, the 13-14 years girls’ champion of the gala, continued to feed off a quickly established rivalry with Karimah Katemba – touching at the same time in 50m freestyle then coming top in six of the other 11 times they faced off.


"I love swimming because there is always competition out there. If they beat you, you go back and train.


If you beat them, you try to work hard to maintain your status," Kisawuzi says.


Maintaining that status was the assignment from her parents, who have gone the extra mile of establishing a diet for their daughter, and coach Kisero when the Nationals returned last month. 


"My mum and coach felt that I could get the trophy again because I had worked almost everyday morning and evening the entire year," Kisawuzi, who still raced as a 13 year old given that her 14th birthday came this month, shares.


Katemba was still there challenging in freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke while Nakasule, who had graduated from the 11-12 years age group, became the competition in butterfly beating Kisawuzi in the 200m. Kisawuzi, however, has also re-strategized to make the clock part of her competition.


"I am about making times now and not beating people. Of what use is it to discipline people if I am still making over 30 seconds in 50m fly a year later? 


My inspiration and target is (17 year old Olympian) Kirabo Namutebi. So when, I am going for competitions, I look at her times and those of the people I will be swimming with and then lay strategies of how and what I can achieve," she explains.


Kisawuzi was delighted to show that she is more about action than talk by making better times than Namutebi, who was swimming in the 17 and over category, in some of the events at the Nationals; 100m freestyle (1:02.58), 50m fly (29.58) and 200 individual medley (2:41.57).


Her most troublesome stroke is the backstroke "because I cannot keep my head in one place" but she depended on fly and free to get away and post the best time among all girls in the country in the individual medley. 


National call-ups 

These performances have endeared Kisawuzi to the USF selection committee.


Last year, she represented Uganda at the Cana Zone III Championships (mostly East African countries) held in Kampala but Kisero felt that the Cana Zone IV Championships that came in April 2022 were a bit too early for her.


Historically, Zone IV (mostly southern Africa countries) has been a decisive gala for Ugandan swimmers. Many have gone off the radar after burning their fingers at the high stakes event and Kisero felt that taking his golden girl, who had just shined for less than a year was akin to stuffing his mouth with more than can he chew.


However, Kisawuzi's performance at this year's Nationals made it even hard for Kisero to keep 'protecting' her. She will represent the country at the August 30 to September 4 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru where she will be accompanied by Kisero as national coach in a team that also contains Mubiru, Steve Magera and Joshua Lumonya.


"I believe I can achieve the national record (long course) for 50m fly, which was made by Rebecca Ssengonzi and stands at 29.82.


I would have preferred not to rush into the big galas and go step by step; from regional to continental and then international galas but I also feel ready and I need to take the chances that come my way," Kisawuzi says.


By the way, this 14 year old has her younger sister Tasha, 12, to thank for the enthusiasm they both have in swimming.


"In the future, I want to be an Olympian and professional because I now admire swimmers like Michael Phelps, who is the most decorated at the Games, and South Africa's Chad Le Clos. 


But that comes from my sister. Tasha was my motivator even though I started swimming before her. 


Tasha was following up on everything and loved training more so she got me interested in more swimmers around the world. I am happy to see the progress she and my brother Francis, who initially was not into swimming but now wants to be the best, are making" says Kisawuzi, who also wants to "become a lawyer in order to have something to turn to after swimming."


Lima assignment

Kisawuzi will compete in the 50m fly and 50m free in Lima with the plan to go all out in both.


She loves to sprint and could also have taken a punt at 50m breaststroke had it not gone to Mubiru, who is certainly better at that currently.


"I can count on my butterfly kick but I am working on my pull. I have to ensure it is not straight because that would mean catching a lot of water," Kisawuzi, who relies on sheer power, explains her plan to chase the national record.


She will not do any 100m events as she just wants to "burst all my energy in very short distance events."


Kisawuzi is confident of her chances at the long course NR because she clocked 28.61 in the league to "unofficially" have a go at Namutebi's 29.23 50m fly (short course) record last week. She now just wants to do the same in the full glare of the whole world.


AT A GLANCE

Name: Tara Kisawuzi

Age: 14

Parents: Henry and Nicole Kisawuzi 

Club: Altona Swim Club 

School: British School of Kampala (Year 8)

Swimming siblings: Tasha and Francis Kisawuzi 

Major events: Cana Zone III Championships, World Junior Championships 

Times at Nationals 2022

Distance Fly          Free      Back     Breast

50m        29.80     27.75    34.60    37.35

100m     1:09.20 1:02.58 1:16.25 1:24.62

200m     2:47.34 2:23.84     -          3:03.31

400m         -          5:11.99    -              -

200m IM: 2:41.57