Karen Muir - world record holder, docter and mother.
The Beginning [1]
When I reflect on my swimming career and ask myself if it was all worth the effort, I would say YES without hesitation. But I would never allow a daughter of mine to go on an international tour at the age of twelve. And unless the academic system in our schools changes radically, no child of mine will spend as much time on sports as I did.
I learned to swim at the age of nine. The following year I represented Griqualand West at the SA schools championships in Port Elizabeth. I took part in the 110-yard freestyle and finished LAST!
Maybe I should have stopped then and grown up like a normal little girl. But no, coach Frank Gray would not allow it. At the age of eleven I took part in my first Currie Cup tournament, again in Port Elizabeth.
Springbok Team
The next year, at the age of twelve, I was selected for the Springbok team that competed in Europe after the SA championships in Salisbury.
At this time, South Africa's world record pioneer, Ann Fairlie, was already established as a major name in our swimming world. Ann, a few years older than myself, beat me in Salisbury. Over the next three years this great Cecil Colwin product would spur me on past her own world class performances in the backstroke several times.
Carefree Childhood
The moment the plane took off for the first tour, my life was split in two. There was Karen the carefree child who for the next six years just wanted to pass every standard at Diamantveld High School in the first class; and there was Karen Muir, at the beginning of an exhausting career as an international swimmer.
The day of the British championships in Blackpool arrived and for a country girl who said on television that Rome reminded her of Kimberley, it was a great emotional experience.
World Record
I could never participate in the Olympics, but I doubt if anything would have made a bigger impression on me after the British championships at Blackpool, my first major international event.
I remember closing my eyes tightly as I plunged into the water for my first heat. And from the moment the shot was fired, until I reached the end, I was aware of only one thought: “Swim, Karen, swim; swim harder; swim, you have to reach the final.”
It was only when Mr Alex Bulley rushed towards me and hugged me and that photograph was taken where I stood dazed and crying with my fingers in my mouth, that I realised something momentous had happened. I can honestly say that Mr Bulley's repeated assurances that I had set a new world record just did not sink in.
Shy Karen
Shy Karen, they called me, and it just made me even more uncomfortable and flustered. I mean, did they really expect a twelve-year-old country girl to be world-wise?
I do not want to talk about sacrifices: if one wants to achieve the highest level in any field, it does not come without sacrifice. But hours of effort and exercise in the pool, day by day, while other children play without a care? A child in a adult world? Let's not go there.
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What kind of girl is Karen? – Anna van Andel What kind of girl is Karen? Ask her grandmother, Anna van Andel, who flew to Durban this past weekend to see the most famous of her eight grandchildren set a new world record. "She is a very normal child and we do not make a fuss of her," replied grandmother Van Andel. "She is now much more relaxed amongst people, but before she went overseas in August last year, she was extremely shy. She never went anywhere unless her father, mother or sisters were with her, not even for a weekend outing. Karen is in her element in the outdoors. On the Muirs' farm, Bosduiwekop, near Douglas, there is a tall shepherd’s tree (boscia albitrunca), and she and her sisters, Linda and Liana, play in the tree as often as they can. Although Karen only started swimming competitively just more than three years ago, she has had many setbacks. Two years ago she had her appendix removed. Since then she has constantly suffered from the flu and sinus infections. When she returned last August after setting the world record in Blackpool, England, she developed an ear infection that kept her out of the pool for weeks. People see her walking around with a woollen cap over her ears and they often ask why, not realising that the doctors said she should constantly guard against ear infection. She had just recovered from this infection in October (1966) when on November 6 she tore a muscle in her leg and she had to hop around on crutches. Once this healed, performances awaited her in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Mafikeng and Cape Town. This interfered with her exercise schedule. Beginning of January this year, she injured a muscle in her back. Last week when she set the world record, Karen had still not fully recovered. As Karen achieved more and more in the pool, so her schoolwork improved. At the end of last year, she stood first in the Std 5 class of Diamantveld Primary School. She devotes herself completely to her schoolwork and reads a lot. When Grandma Van Andel is asked what the secret to her granddaughter's success is, she ascribes it to determination and dedication. “When Karen decides on some-thing, you do not move her easily from her decision.” |
The greatest sacrifice was made by my parents. They are the ones who made it possible for me to swim for South Africa for six years and to maintain a world level throughout.
It must be remembered that from the age of eleven until my matric year I was rarely at home during the swimming season. Almost every weekend I had to swim in another town or city, also doing showcase swims – often in the most remote little towns. There were the provincial and national championships, competitions against visiting teams. In April every year there were competitions abroad, then back in May, then to a facility with heated pools to prepare for the winter season, since Kimberley did not have such facilities. July overseas again, back mid-August.
Schoolwork
And then suddenly I had to catch up the full load of the school curriculum for that year – each and every one of those six swimming years. Just two months to complete the syllabus, because in November the new swimming season started up again.
At great expense my parents had to enlist the help of outside teachers to get me ready for the exams with extra lessons.
These are the circumstances that cause so many of our young swimmers to fade academically. And you must remember that one is away from home during the years that a child, and especially a girl, is most susceptible to outside influences. That my parents managed to keep me on course, to make me the first Springbok swimmer, so I understand, who was able to pass matric with a first class, is their own amazing achievement. I will never be able to thank them enough for this.
When I started university to qualify as a doctor at the UOFS I had to give up swimming. But I was just as determined to become Karen Muir MD as I was when I was aiming for world records!
Reflection
I really enjoyed my career as a medical doctor. I had a practice in Ladysmith, Natal for 22 years, and also in Canada.
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Karen left South Africa because she was looking for new experiences. "I got a bit bored and I also wanted to go and see what it is like over there.”
Swimming did not come naturally to her. "Look, I was scared of the water. At school a Dr. Oberholtzer held swimming galas on Saturdays across the width of the pool. He used sweets as an incentive, so I started swimming.”
[1] This chapter is based on an interview conducted with Karen and duplicated on the website www.swimhistory.co.za. The original source, however, could not be determined.
Translation thanks to Chris Steyl
Karen Muir - wêreld rekordhouer, dokter en moeder
In haar eie woorde:
As ek nou terugkyk en myself die vraag stel of dit alles die moeite werd was, dan moet ek sonder aarseling JA sê. Maar ek sal nooit ‘n twaalfjarige dogter van my toelaat om op buitelandse toere te gaan nie – en tensy die akademiese stelsel in ons skole radikaal verander, sal geen kind van my so baie tyd aan sport bestee soos ek gedoen het nie.
Ek het op die ouderdom van nege geleer swem. Die volgende jaar het ek Griekwaland-Wes op die S.A Skole-kampioenskappe in Port Elizabeth verteenwoordig. Ek het aan die 110 tree-vryslag deelgeneemen HEEL LAASTE geëindig!
Miskien moes ek toe opgehou en soos ‘n normale dogtertjie groot geword het. Maar nee, afrigter Frank Gray het dit nie toegelaat nie. Op 11-jarige leeftyd het ek aan my eerste Curriebeker toernooi, weer in Port Elizabeth, deelgeneem.
SPRINGBOKSPAN
Die daaropvolgende jaar, twaalf jaar oud, is ek na afloop van die S.A Kampioenskappe in Salisbury vir die Springbokspan wat na Europa gegaan het, gekies.
Teen hierdie tyd was Suid-Afrika se wêreldrekord-baanbreker ANN FAIRLIE, reeds gevestig as ‘n groot naam in ons swem. Ann, ‘n paar jaar ouer as ek, het my in Salisbury geklop. Die volgende drie jaar sou hierdie puik Cecil Colwin-produk my verby haar eie wêreldtye in die rugslag dryf.
POPSPEEL-KIND
Die oomblik toe die vliegtuig styg, het my lewe in twee geskeur. Daar was Karen die popspeel-kind wat vir die volgende ses jaar graag elke standerd op die Hoërskool Diamantveld in die eerste klas wou slag; en daar was Karen Muir, aan die begin van ‘n uitputtende loopbaan as internasioenale swemster.
Die dag van die Britse kampioenskappe in Blackpool het aangebreek en vir ‘n vaal ou Kalahari-dogtertjie wat op beeldradio gesê het Rome herhinner haar aan Kimberley, was dit ‘n geweldige emosionele belewenis.
WÊRELDREKORD
Aan die Olimpiese Spele kon ek toe nooit deelneem nie, maar ek twyfel of enigiets daarna ‘n groter indruk op my sou gemaak het as the Britse Kampioenskappe, my eerste groot internasioenale byeenkoms.
Ek hetmy oë styf toegeknyp toe ek werktuiglik in my eerste uitdun in die water gedons het. Van die oomblik toe die skoot geknal het, totdat ek die eindkant geraak het, was ek net van een gedagte bewus: swem, Karen, swem, swem harder swem, jy moet die finaal haal.
Alleen toe mnr. Alec Bulley my bestorm het en omhels – en daardie foto geneem is waar ek verdwaas met my fingers in my mond staan en grens – het ek geweet dat iets gebeur het. Ek moet eerlik sê dat mnr. Bulley se herhaalde versekering dat ek die wêreldrekord verbeter het, geen ingang by die twaalfjarige dogtertjie gevind het nie.
SKAAM KAREN
Skaam Karen, het hulle gesê – en dit het my net nog skamer in my dop laat kruip. Ek meen, het hulle dan verwag ‘n twaalfjarige plattelandse dogter moet wêreldwys wees?
Nou wil ek nie graag praat van opofferinge nie. As ‘n mens die hoogste sport op enige gebied wil bereik, geskied dit nie sonder opoffering nie. Daaglikse ure van inspanning en oefening in die swembad wanneer ander kinders sorgvry speel? ‘n Kind in ‘n volwassene wêreld? Kom ons laat dit liewer daar.
Die grootste opoffering was dié van my ouers. Dit is hulle wat dit vir my moontlik gemaak het om ses jaar lank vir Suid-Afrika te swem en deurgans wêreld-standaard te handhaaf.
Dit moet onthou word dat ek van elfjarige ouderdom, tot in my matriekjaar selde tuis was in die swemseisoen. Feitlik elke naweek het ek op ‘n ander dorp of stad geswem en vertonings gelewer – tot op die kleinste ou dorpies; aan kampioenskappe, provinsiaal en nasionaal, deelgeneem, teen besoekende spanne.
End an oorsee elke April, dan terug in Mei, na warm baddens verhuis om vir die winterseisoen voor te berei, aangesien ons nie die fasiliteite in Kimberley gehad het nie. Juliemaand weer oorsee, middle Augustus terug.
SKOOLWERK
En dan moes ‘n jaar se skoolwerk skielik ingehaal word, elke en iedere van daardie ses swemjare. Net twee maande om die leerplan te voltooi - om in November dan weer in te val met ons eie swemseisoen.
Teen groot koste moes my ouers onderwysers van ander skole se hulp inroep om my met ekstra lesse eksamen-gereed te kry.
Dit is hierdie omstandighede wat daarvoor verantwoordelik is dat so baie van ons jong swemmers akademies op skool uitsak. Onhou, jy raak so baie uithuisig juis in die jare wat ‘n kind – en veral ‘n meisie, op vatbaarste is vir buiteinvloede.
Dat my ouers daarin geslaag het om my te laat koers hou – om my die eerste Springbok-swemmer te maak – so verneem ek – wat matriek in eerste klas kon slag, is hul eie wonderlike prestatsie waarvoor ek hulle nooit genoeg sal kan dank nie.
En nou gaan ek as geneesheer aan die UOVS bekwaam. Swem moes in die slag bly. En ek is ewe vasberade om Karen Muir M.D. te word as toe na wêreldrekords gemik het!
“Dit was vir my baie lekker om ‘n dokter te wees. Ek het 22 jaar lank ‘n praktyk in Ladysmith in Natal gehad. En ook in Kanada.”
Muir het Suid-Afrika verlaat omdat dit vir haar makliker was om in Kanada ‘n bestaan te maak. “Ag, en ek het gatvol geraak. Miskien wou ek ‘n ook ‘n bietjie gaan kyk hoe dit daar is”.
Swem het nie vir haar natuurlik gekom nie. “Kyk, ek was bang vir die water. Op skool het ‘n dr. Oberholtzer op Saterdae swemgalas gehou oor die breedte van die swembad. Die pryse was lekkergoed, dus het ek begin swem.
Frikkie van Rensburg, oudsportredakteur van Volksblad, wat Karen oor ’n lang tyd leer ken het, het haar só beskryf: Sy was ’n reguit mens, ’n ongelooflike diereliefheber én beskermer. ’n Liefdevolle, lojale, hardwerkende, mededingende, vergewensgesinde én grootmoedige mens.
