Early starts. Dark mornings. And a long school day to follow.
They will all be worth it in a couple of weeks for Kavanagh College pupil Erika Fairweather.
She and coach Lars Humer will leave Moana Pool as they slip out of town today.
In her sights is swimming’s biggest stage.
The Tokyo Olympics beckon for the 17-year-old Dunedin swimmer.
That might seem a world away.
Yet it is a leap that has been made before.
A generation ago, a Dunedin prodigy called Danyon Loader honed his talent under legendary coach Duncan Laing at the same pool.
Loader won two gold medals at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
It remains New Zealand’s greatest swimming feat.
Humer is a Laing protege, and it would be fitting if he could guide another Dunedin swimmer to the podium.
Of course, it might not be this time around — for all of Fairweather’s brilliance, she is still a 17-year-old up against the world’s best.
Fairweather will race in both the 200m and 400m freestyle races, as well as the 4x200m freestyle relay.
A full story with Fairweather and Humer will appear in next week’s Otago Daily Times.
