Tatjana Smith reunites with her gold-medal pool as AquaPark makes a splash

Tatjana Smith dived into lane four and, for a fleeting moment, it felt like she was back in Fukuoka, Japan. The last time she swam in that lane, in that pool, she touched the wall to win gold.

Now the same Olympic-standard pool from the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka – where Smith claimed gold in the 200m breaststroke and silver in the 100m – sits in KwaZulu-Natal as the centrepiece of St Charles College’s emerging AquaPark sports precinct.

“When the AquaPark team reached out to me and told me that this pool was the exact pool that I swam at World Champs where I won gold, I said no way, this is not possible. But now I know it is,” Smith said.

Modular pools like this are usually temporary. Built for the Olympics or World Championships, they are assembled inside arenas and dismantled after the competition. Countries can then apply to buy them.

Myrtha Pools, a global specialist in modular pool construction, supplied the technology and facilitated the sale, which led to South Africa securing its first Olympic-standard pool built to the exact specifications used at global championships.

Theo Verster, a former Olympian, head coach of South Africa’s Paralympic swim team and CEO of AquaPark, explained why the pool is considered a technical marvel.

“Having the first Olympic-standard pool in South Africa speaks volumes. We have many pools, but most are municipal facilities where maintenance isn’t always consistent. They’re not Olympic standard in terms of the starting blocks, the level of the pool or the construction. Most municipal pools are tiled, which isn’t the standard we compete in internationally.”

The 50m pool is one of the key features that make AquaPark unique, said Verster. It is equipped with Myrtha technology, including a movable bulkhead that “allows us to transform the pool into a 2m x 25m training space combining both water polo and swimming in the same facility. This versatility is perfect for both elite training and large-scale swimming and water polo events.”

And it’s designed to benefit the wider community too.

“AquaPark isn’t just about professional athletes – we’ve built a space that’s also designed to be accessible to the community. Our pool is wheelchair accessible, making it the perfect venue for para-swimming. In the near future we will offer learn-to-swim programmes and water safety education for people of all ages,” he said.

Where it all started

The idea for AquaPark began several years ago when St Charles College, a private boys’ school in Pietermaritzburg, started exploring the possibility of building a pool.

“The principal and the St Charles board recognised a significant gap in South Africa’s aquatics infrastructure. We saw the need for a world-class aquatic facility that could serve both elite athletes and the broader community. The vision was to create a space where swimmers and water polo players of all levels could thrive – from professional athletes training for international competitions, to local families learning essential water safety skills.”

Verster said the project was also tied to a broader vision for the city.

“In a city under intense financial strain, the most powerful long-term investment we can make is in education in its broadest sense, not only academics, but the developmental, physical, social and emotional skills that shape healthy, capable communities. Pietermaritzburg has always been a city built on strong pillars of sport, education, medical excellence and care for the elderly, serving a rich network of schools, businesses, manufacturing and agriculture.”

“But many of the facilities that once supported youth and community development have deteriorated or disappeared entirely. Too many children have had to ‘look in from the outside’. AquaPark is designed to bring them into a world where opportunity, belonging and potential are accessible to all, not just a privileged few.”

The partnership between St Charles, Xhawula uMgungundlovu Aquatics NPC and Love Pietermaritzburg NPC was central to AquaPark’s development.

“The school contributed the land on which AquaPark is built, making it possible for us to create a facility that benefits not just the school but the broader Pietermaritzburg community. In terms of funding, the school has played a key role in helping us secure initial support, and together we’ve worked to ensure that AquaPark will be a resource that serves everyone,” Verster explained.

How is AquaPark funded?

“Current funding is made up of donations, sponsorships and structured finance and all existing parties are comfortable that their contributions can be maintained by the planned activities in the calendar. However, this was only the first phase and in order for AquaPark to reach its full potential the remaining phases are needed as soon as possible. Having the learn-to-swim facility and additional multifunctional pool allows for flexibility that we need to realise the full vision and provide the accessibility we envision,” he said.

Verster added that the first-of-its-kind aquatic centre in South Africa was a long-held dream for the sport in the country, “a dream that, for many, once seemed out of reach”.

“Having been involved in swimming since the 1980s, I’ve had the privilege of training and competing in similar pools abroad, but I never imagined that one day South African swimmers would have access to the same level of excellence right here at home. We’re excited to open our doors and provide athletes with the opportunity to realise their dreams in a world-class facility, locally.” DM