Meet the Committee: An Interview with Tanya Gist

Hello! My name is Tanya and I volunteer as the social media coordinator for the CLDSA. During the day I work as a swim Coach for The Fast Lane, helping swimmers improve their skills and performance for pool swimming and open water. I am also a proud stockist for a swimwear brand Mad Wave, which keeps me closely connected to the swimming community both in and out of the water.

1. Tell us about your swimming journey so far. I’ve been a swimmer my entire life and since moving to Cape Town I have discovered my love for long distance open water swimming, since 2021.

2. Tell us about your earliest swimming memory. I have very fond memories of doing my first MidMar Mile at age 6, I was terrified and anxious and was told to swim with the coach, I ditched that idea 200m and swam on my own, nothing much has changed since then, I still have all those feeling about open water and I still don’t swim with who I am told for the entire swim.

3. What is it that makes you love swimming? It is like meditation for me, it is a place where I can clear my mind, feel all the feelings. Basically therapy but the water is the therapist.

4. What was your most challenging swim experience? Is there really ever just one? Haha! A few Langebaan Express’s where surfing seemed to be a better choice than trying to swim it and a few questionable Robben Islands.

5. Can you describe your perfect week of training? Swimming 3-4 times a week in a squad, if possible to get a few double sessions in on those days if there is a big swim coming up.

6. What is a challenging aspect of swimming that you have overcome and how did you overcome it? The week leading up to a big swim, full of nerves and anxiety, Ive been trying to be calm and collected and try not to control the things that I have no control over.

7. Where is your favourite swim spot? Glencairn.

8. What was your favourite swim experience ever? Cape Point, it was pretty wild but it was one of my best swims along with my Double Robben Island.

9. you have a bucket list swim? Marathon swimming somewhere warm.

10. Do you have a tip for an aspiring Open Water Swimmer? Start small, get comfortable being in the open water. join a group, its always more fun.