2025 continues to be an amazing year for Maya Gördüemel. Last weekend, she faced down the pressure of a 9-hour bus trip to Antalya, and a battle against the clock to qualify for a grant towards her continuing swimming education. Oh, and a Mayor and a special teddy bear thrown in!
Last Thursday, she and her mum Samantha found out that Maya could attend a special race in either Van, Edine, Mersin or Antalya.
They choose Antalya as it was the closest and was only possible for her to attend as she excelled on her last race in Kaysari. Her points for the 200 medley were that good she could now apply to be a member of a special Turkish grant scheme (Sem spor eğitim merkez).
Bottom line she potentially had four races against the clock to be able to qualify for the grant scheme.
Her mum Sam said: “She had to swim 100 backstroke in 1.19 minutes. Sadly she failed with a time of 1.23. But she wasn’t too upset.”
Her second try was the last chance for that today. The race was a 100m freestyle. She hadn’t actually swam this before in a 50m pool. She said: “We didn’t have a personal best to compare. The time they gave her was 1.13. She smashed it out the water with a time of 1.11.16. Therefore passing the requirements needed.”
That meant that she wasn’t required to deal with the other two races.
Sam added that Maya had travelled down by bus with her female coach. “As her mum I didn’t want her to go. I felt she didn’t have enough time to prepare for the race and also me not being there to help her.
“I cried but I couldn’t hold her back. It was a long 9 hour bus trip. The longest shes done. Sharing a room with her coach was also hard for Maya as she’s a terrible sleeper. She called me to say she was scared. She was worried. I cried some more.
“We then found out after seeing the start-up list she was the only child that was invited for this specific opportunity from Aydin province. Next day, little sleep, tired from travel, and very emotional, she was up and out at 6am. Then we learnt she was swimming with all ages up to 17. Psychologically, that was rough.”
She added: “Maya found a teddy at lunch that she wanted but it was 2000 TL. She called me before the race and said that if she passed her time could she have the teddy. She went and smashed the time. When she arrived back, the first thing she asked “Did you order the teddy?”
Sam said: “We couldn’t be prouder, she’s passed on her second try out of a possible 4. Swimming with the big kids and the only one from Aydin invited. She’s an amazing girl.”
It appears that only 30% of all childen actually qualify to be to apply for this special grant.
Prior to her Antalya heat, she also met the Didim Mayor Hatice Gençay with her fellow swimmers.
More importantly, the teddy bear is on its way fo a Very Important Swimmer!