Africa Youth double gold medallist, swimmer, Maria Brunhelner was on Tuesday belatedly feted as the StarTimes Sports Personality for the month of July in Mombasa.
The German-based swimmer was in superb form at the Africa Youth Games in Algiers, Algeria, winning three medals; 2 gold in the 50 meters and 100 meters freestyle events as well as a silver medal in the 50 meters breaststroke.
She set a championship record of 26.14 seconds in the 50 meters freestyle and repeated her feat in the 100 meters, where she posted 58.87 seconds. In the 50 meters breaststroke event, she clocked 34.04 seconds, losing out narrowly to Morocco’s Imane Houda El Barodi, who tapped the wall in 33.03
Brunhelner exploits saw her get called up to the Kenya Olympic Youth Games team in Buenos Aires Argentina and she also earned selection to the CANA Zone Three Championships slated for Khartoum Sudan in November.
Brunlehner was awarded a 43-inch StarTimes digital TV Set, Sh100,000 in prize money, and a customized trophy. Her award was collected by her mother since she is based in Germany.
Speaking through Skype, Brunlehner, 18, whose awards were collected by her mother at the Mombasa Academy, was humbled with the award adding that it will motivate her to continue winning. “I did not see this coming, I am excited because you guys have made my day. I am hoping to come to Kenya next year for the nationals and I have my eyes set on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo,” Maria said through a Skype interview from her base in Germany.
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