Daniela Estrada Lasso (7th Grade), won two silver medals in Artistic Swimming in the modalities Mixed Duet Routine and Free Team Routine in the National Interclub Artistic Swimming Championship held in Bogota from 16 to 19 December 2021, in which she represented the Ciudad de Cali Synchronised Swimming Club.
Her love for artistic swimming is inherited from her mother, whom Daniela saw four years ago in a competition in the master category and that’s when it sinked in, became interested and decided to start practising it.
“My mum was in the Colombian National Team, Team Valle, she has been in international competitions, and thanks to her experience she has helped and supported me, the fact that her daughter likes the same sport is very appealing. I wanted to swim because I went to one of my mother’s competitions in the United States and seeing her and also seeing ladies of 50, 65 years old doing this sport inspired me to do it,” said Daniela.
For Daniela it was not easy to be present in this event since several injuries in her knees forced her to abandon the sport while she was in the process of recovery. She was out of training for a month, so she was a bit unsure whether she should compete or not.
“I wasn’t going to go to this competition, my mum told me I had to look at my knees, strength and endurance. In the end I started to train to become used to it and move my knees, I started to improve, to compete more lightly and the coach decided to take me,” said Daniela.
Once Daniela dives into the sport she must be one hundred per cent focused, because even every little gesture on her face adds up to points in the end, combining physical endurance and flexibility, being precise with the use of time and having extraordinary control of her breath underwater.
“This time the pool was warmed because of the cold in Bogotá. When we breathe through the mouth, you breathe in hot air, which makes you choke as you don’t feel the air entering your lungs. Before getting in the pool I have to think that I can do it, that it’s only 3 minutes and I’m going to enjoy it,” confessed Daniela.
For her mother, Claudia Lasso, Daniela’s achievement is a source of pride and in a few years time she hopes that her daughter will become a more experienced athlete.
“As I know the sport, I feel excited, a little anxious about the results and proud. In a few years I see my daughter, a girl with a love for sport, disciplined, committed, responsible, strengthening her character, with the ability to work as part of a team, and with the mentality of a champion,” said Claudia.
Congratulations to Daniela for this great achievement, for recovering from her injury and winning these medals!
