Proud Nana gets credit for golden swim haul

 

By Horiana Henderson

Fiona Pratt taught her granddaughter to swim – and Zyleika Pratt-Smith has taken that knowledge, added to it with years of training, and claimed a sensational nine gold medals at the Anchor AIMS Games.

Pratt-Smith also won a silver and, with three Mount Maunganui Intermediate schoolmates, claimed the trophy for Best Team Overall at the 14^th annual intermediate-age competition.

Olympian Melissa Ingram was poolside but it was Fiona Pratt that Pratt-Smith credited with kickstarting her swimming passion.

“She’s a swim instructor,” Pratt-Smith said of her grandmother. “And she was a good swimmer when she was younger as well.”

Pratt-Smith’s nana and mother Annick Pratt witnessed her astounding dominance in the finals, as did her nine-year-old sister Zaniqua who hopes to also compete at AIMS in the future. Pratt-Smith attributes her success to her involvement with Mt Maunganui Swimming Club and synchronised swimming.

But she is not done with challenging herself. Pratt-Smith would love to go to the Olympics one day but right now a more immediate goal looms.

“First, I have to break a New Zealand record.”

 

See all the swimming results here!

See more swimming photos here!