{"id":44691,"date":"2024-04-12T09:50:56","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T07:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T13:46:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:46:49","slug":"young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Kariega swimmer making waves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kariega teen Gemma Spies, a rising star in South Africa\u2019s swimming community, is making headlines for her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. At just 12 years old, Spies has already earned recognition as a top achieving swimmer in the country, with her sights set on competing in the Olympics one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spies\u2019 passion for swimming has been a driving force since childhood. \u201cI have always had a love for swimming, and want to go to the Olympics one day,\u201d she revealed, highlighting her ambitious aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the rigorous training demands, Spies maintains a balanced routine, dedicating herself to both swimming and academics. She trains daily at the Infinity Swimming Academy in Gqeberha, covering approximately 3.5km each session. Balancing her studies, Spies diligently completes her homework and studies after training, utilising weekends to catch up on any missed school work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Junior

<\/p>\n

The teen has her eyes set on the Junior World Championships. <\/div>\n
<\/span>Photo: Supplied<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For Jones, the joy of competitive swimming lies in the camaraderie and the satisfaction of seeing her hard work pay off. \u201cMeeting swimmers from around the country and seeing all my hard work paying off,\u201d she noted as her favourite aspect of the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many athletes, Spies has faced challenges along her journey, particularly when illness disrupts her training schedule. However, her determination and resilience have allowed her to overcome these setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To her fellow aspiring young athletes, Spies offers simple yet powerful advice: \u201cFollow your dreams and don\u2019t let anything come between you and your dreams; hard work pays off in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maintaining focus during competitions is crucial, and Spies relies on visualisation techniques to stay composed before races, ensuring she executes her plans effectively in the pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by notable South African swimmers such as Tayla Jonker, Erin Gallagher, Pieter Coetzee, and Chad Le Clos, Spies looks up to these athletes as role models in her journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With her eyes set on future goals, she aims to compete in the Junior World Championships and continually improve her swimming times in the short term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite her demanding schedule as a top achieving swimmer, the teen\u2019s personal life remains unaffected, with her friends and family providing unwavering support. She still enjoys participating in extracurricular activities like hockey, emphasising that her swimming pursuits have not hindered her social life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Spies\u2019 parents, their daughter\u2019s remarkable talent is a source of immense pride and gratitude. Her mother, Sharoy Spies, said, \u201cWe are extremely proud of Gemma and support her in everything; we are here for her through ups and downs and we thank God for her talent. In conclusion We are also so grateful to the amazing coaches she has at Infinity Swimming Academy (David Glover, Samantha Barton, Deshaan Pillay and Bryce Grassi) who put so much time and effort into making this a reality for Gemma.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kariega teen Gemma Spies, a rising star in South Africa\u2019s swimming community, is making headlines for her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. At just 16 years old, Spies has already earned recognition as a top achieving swimmer in the country, with her sights set on competing in the Olympics one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":44696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"82e5d734-01be-44ec-aadf-7f47fb532f5c","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Nkosazana Ngwadla","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-44691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nYoung Kariega swimmer making waves | UD Express (Uitenhage)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Young Kariega swimmer making waves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kariega teen Gemma Spies, a rising star in South Africa\u2019s swimming community, is making headlines for her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. At just 16 years old, Spies has already earned recognition as a top achieving swimmer in the country, with her sights set on competing in the Olympics one day.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UD Express (Uitenhage)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-12T07:50:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-21T11:46:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"374\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"319\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nkosazana Ngwadla\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"UD Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6\"},\"headline\":\"Young Kariega swimmer making waves\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-12T07:50:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T11:46:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":479,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2024\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/\",\"name\":\"Young Kariega swimmer making waves | UD Express (Uitenhage)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-12T07:50:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T11:46:49+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg\",\"width\":374,\"height\":319,\"caption\":\"Some of Gemma Spies' medals include gold for 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 50m butterfly, and silver for 400m freestyle. Photo: Supplied\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Young Kariega swimmer making waves\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"UD Express\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PEExpress1\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/EP_Media24\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/express_newspapers\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@expressonline3000\\\/videos\"],\"description\":\"UD Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) and Despatch communities since 1971, making it the oldest single-title free sheet in South Africa. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 30,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door across Kariega, Despatch, and surrounding areas every week.\",\"email\":\"udexpress@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"0+2719925650\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"UD Express\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/author\\\/udexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Young Kariega swimmer making waves | UD Express (Uitenhage)","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Young Kariega swimmer making waves","og_description":"Kariega teen Gemma Spies, a rising star in South Africa\u2019s swimming community, is making headlines for her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. At just 16 years old, Spies has already earned recognition as a top achieving swimmer in the country, with her sights set on competing in the Olympics one day.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/","og_site_name":"UD Express (Uitenhage)","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","article_published_time":"2024-04-12T07:50:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-21T11:46:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":374,"height":319,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nkosazana Ngwadla","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@EP_Media24","twitter_site":"@EP_Media24","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"UD Express","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/"},"author":{"name":"UD Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6"},"headline":"Young Kariega swimmer making waves","datePublished":"2024-04-12T07:50:56+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T11:46:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/"},"wordCount":479,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2024","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/","name":"Young Kariega swimmer making waves | UD Express (Uitenhage)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg","datePublished":"2024-04-12T07:50:56+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T11:46:49+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg","width":374,"height":319,"caption":"Some of Gemma Spies' medals include gold for 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 50m butterfly, and silver for 400m freestyle. Photo: Supplied"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/young-kariega-swimmer-making-waves-20240410\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Young Kariega swimmer making waves"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/","name":"UD Express","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization","name":"UD Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"UD Express"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","https:\/\/x.com\/EP_Media24","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/express_newspapers\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@expressonline3000\/videos"],"description":"UD Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) and Despatch communities since 1971, making it the oldest single-title free sheet in South Africa. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 30,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door across Kariega, Despatch, and surrounding areas every week.","email":"udexpress@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"0+2719925650","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6","name":"UD Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"UD Express"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/author\/udexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c40d4a96c06b464aaa1d11a593734e60.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46401,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/swimmer-10-breaks-sa-record-that-stood-for-20-years-20221019\/","url_meta":{"origin":44691,"position":0},"title":"Swimmer (10) breaks SA record that stood for 20 years","author":"UD Express","date":"20 October 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Gemma Spies (10) from Kariega recently competed in the 41st Freda Barnard Gala in George and broke the SA record for 50-metre freestyle in the age group 10 and under. The record (29.75 seconds) stood for 20 years before she swam the distance in 29.12","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/491fb704e2124371b67cf8452691dc92.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/491fb704e2124371b67cf8452691dc92.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/491fb704e2124371b67cf8452691dc92.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48392,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/missing-kirkwood-child-found-in-knysna-20210818\/","url_meta":{"origin":44691,"position":1},"title":"Missing Kirkwood child found in Knysna","author":"UD Express","date":"18 August 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"An intensive search to safely reunite a 2-year-old girl with her loved ones in Kirkwood after being kidnapped earlier this month, had a positive outcome when the toddler was found by the Tsitsikamma K9-unit in Knysna yesterday morning, Tuesday, August 17.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51375,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/local-swimmers-quest-to-qualify-for-olympics-20191113-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":44691,"position":2},"title":"Local swimmer\u2019s quest to qualify for Olympics","author":"UD Express","date":"14 November 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"ACE Madibaz swimmer Alaric Basson says the top level of competition he witnessed at the World Championships in South Korea this year has been an inspiration for his long-term ambitions.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36159edd34764b1bba2e7ea2e3f87367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36159edd34764b1bba2e7ea2e3f87367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36159edd34764b1bba2e7ea2e3f87367.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36159edd34764b1bba2e7ea2e3f87367.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52474,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/nuwe-seisoen-vir-despatch-gemeente-20190605-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":44691,"position":3},"title":"Nuwe seisoen vir Despatch-gemeente","author":"UD Express","date":"6 June 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Die AGS Lighuis Christelike Sentrum in Despatch het Sondag, 2 Junie, \u2018n nuwe pastoorspaar in hul midde verwelkom.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6d315e89a69b44df8e00e1c48648116a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6d315e89a69b44df8e00e1c48648116a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6d315e89a69b44df8e00e1c48648116a.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6d315e89a69b44df8e00e1c48648116a.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":266160,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/teen-excels-at-commonwealth-lifesaving-championships\/","url_meta":{"origin":44691,"position":4},"title":"Teen excels at Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships","author":"PE Express","date":"6 August 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Swimming lessons at the age of three to initially become water safe alongside friends turned into a lifelong passion for Keira van Heerden (17), who recently walked away with nine medals at the Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships. The teenager represented South Africa at the prestigious RLSS Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships in Swansea,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/swimmingchamp3_74823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/swimmingchamp3_74823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/swimmingchamp3_74823.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/swimmingchamp3_74823.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/swimmingchamp3_74823.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53459,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/docu-series-on-dangers-of-ocean-pollution-20181205-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":44691,"position":5},"title":"Docu-series on dangers of ocean pollution","author":"UD Express","date":"6 December 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A former South African international swimmer, Sarah Ferguson, joined SPAR Eastern Cape\u2019s fight against plastic pollution when she became an ambassador in the company\u2019s Stop Plastic campaign.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"UD Express (Uitenhage)","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44691"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=44691"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=44691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}