Every day after school, she travels from St Mary’s Girls School in Waverley, north of Joburg, to her diving training sessions at St Stithians College in Sandton, under the wing of coach Danilo Cogrossi.
Meet the young Zalika Methula, the country’s diving sensation who, at 16, has already tasted international competition when she represented the country at the Fina World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary from June 26 to July 3.
In two years’ time, her goal is to be in the South African team at the Olympics in Paris, France, where Methula hopes to bring back a medal or two.
“In Budapest I competed at senior level, being a junior. The main motivating factor for going was to get the experience of international competition. It was my first international competition and I enjoyed myself,” she said. “I’m proud to have represented my country; it was the highlight of my diving career.”
She competed in the 1m women’s senior event, finishing in the top 12, a commendable performance for a junior. She has qualified for the Fifa World Junior Championships and is set to compete in the 1m and 3m events in Quebec, Canada,from November 27 to December 4.
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