“I joined the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa in 2017 and a large part of my decision to join involved swimming. I had full confidence that I could continue my studies and continue to train in swimming. One thing that helped my swimming was the facilities on campus. I obviously spent a lot of time in the pool, but the team also spent time in the gym working on our strength and conditioning. During our gym sessions we’d use the weight room for strength training and the Multi Purpose Hall (MPH) for our core exercises, both of which helped a lot in my swimming. Living on campus made a much quicker to get to dorms or the Commons for dining with the added benefit of getting to see the beautiful sunrises and sunsets after a training session.  Being part of the team had a very communal and special feeling associated with it, one that you don’t really get anywhere else. Working hard together in the pool allowed us to create strong bonds that helped us support each other both in and out of the pool.  We also got to learn from each other and create great memories at competitions. Overall I loved the experience and learned a lot from both my coaches and from the swimmers that I trained with.  It was thanks to the combination of expert coaching and world-class facilities that I was selected to represent Kenya at the East African Secondary School Games. I was also the boys’ captain for team Kenya at the Confédération Africaine de Natation (CANA) Zone 3 Swimming Championships where I won six medals. CANA is the Continental Association charged with overseeing swimming for Africa. It was a humbling and fulfilling experience, and I learned a lot from it. After graduating from the Academy, I took a gap year to focus on swimming and achieve the necessary times to train and compete at my university.” Kirunda Kunyiha, Class of 2019, Aga Khan Academy Mombasa