U of R swimmer hopes to make a splash for Mauritius at 2024 Olympics
Ovesh Purahoo will compete in the 100-metre freestyle at his first Olympic Games
University of Regina athlete Ovesh Purahoo might be more than 15,000 kilometres from home, but he can feel the excitement of his family back home as he prepares to compete for his country in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"They're pretty happy; they're more happy than I am," he said, talking about his family's reaction to him qualifying in the 100-metre freestyle event at the Games, to compete for his home country of Mauritius, an island country off the eastern coast of Africa.
His father, a swimming instructor, was the one who got him interested in the sport. Purahoo began to swim at the age of four, before moving into more serious competition at around the age of 12.
He came to Canada to pursue a kinesiology degree in 2020 in Regina, with a goal of someday becoming a chiropractor.
But for now, he's focusing on competing at the pinnacle of his sport. He's spent more than a year working to qualify, a journey that included competing in February's World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
"That was my first step into the big world of swimming. It was pretty fun. It opened my eyes and allowed me to see the opportunity. And [that] if I want to be at that level, it showed me the steps that I need to take to achieve that," Purahoo said.
What finally sealed his spot was a time of 52.40 in the 100-metre freestyle at Vancouver's Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet in mid-June.
"[It was] a lot of pressure because it was a year or two of work just coming to one race. So, I was pretty nervous," he said.
As it turns out, things went in Purahoo's favour, sending him to his first-ever Olympics.
Having an athlete of Purahoo's caliber as part of the University of Regina swim program is a big boost, said his coach Baylee Munro.
"It's pretty cool. It definitely inspires everybody else to work towards the collective vision of excellence," he said, noting his teammates celebrated Purahoo's achievement with a post in their team room declaring, "Here's our Olympian."
"So there's been an awesome amount of support and we're all very happy for him."
WATCH: Sask. swimmer ready to represent home country of Mauritius in Paris
Munro said there's a lot of factors to consider when you're preparing to compete at the Games.
"When you wake up and you know that you're laying it all on the line to try to represent your country and have the opportunity to do that, it's like every cell in your body is vibrating as you know that you're going to have that chance," he said, noting there's anxiety and stress to overcome.
"But fortunately, he's made it all the way," Munro said, noting this is "just the beginning" for the promising young swimmer.
Plan to stay consistent
As for the next steps prior to his Olympics event, Purahoo has it all planned out.
"The goal is to try to stay consistent — take care of my body and try to hydrate, eat well and sleep well," he said.
Purahoo's goal is to swim under 52 seconds, below his personal best of 52.25. It's a time he said he's achieved in training and that he's hopeful that the stars will align when he's in Paris.
"Everything is possible. I always believe in me, and I'll try to go there and try to surprise myself," he said.
"I've done the training to be able to do that and now it's just focusing on the little parts. And hopefully, it will come together in Paris."
LISTEN: Ovesh Purahoo talks to CBC's Blue Sky about swimming in the ocean, versus the pool
Check out stories of other athletes from Saskatchewan heading to the Olympics here:
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