Members of the Ege Yükselen Didim swimming team have once again done their town proud with exceptional performances at recent meets.

In just two weeks the swimmers have competed in back-to-back competitions. First they represented their schools, and then, a few days later, they attended the first leg of the Turkish Swimming Championship.

The team of nine swimmers, included five girls and four boys. The team included Maya Gördümel, Mira Zeynep Dedemen, Defne Şener, Ayliz Türkay, Asya Yeşilkaya, Eymen Aras Dal, Hüseyin Kerem Cebişli, Anıl Şaingiray and Mehmet Yaşar Ölmez.

For several of the swimmers this was their very first competition, yet they rose to the occasion and performed brilliantly.

In total, five swimmers qualified for the second leg of the championship, a remarkable achievement and a testament to the growing strength of swimming in Didim.

Two swimmers in particular stood out across both competitions:

In the Regional School Championships, where swimmers are limited to just four races chosen by the coach, Maya Gördümel, representing Didim AKK Koleji, delivered an outstanding performance, winning two gold medals and three bronze medals. These results have earned her a place representing her school at the Turkey Semi-Finals.

Mira Zeynep Dedemen, representing Valiler Ortaokulu, also impressed, winning one gold medal and three silver medals for her school.

Only days later the swimmers returned to the pool for the Turkish Swimming Championship qualifiers.

Despite Maya spending several hours in accident and emergency with a suspected dislocated shoulder the day before the competition, both Maya and Mira produced extraordinary performances over the three day event.

Between them they collected an incredible 16 medals from 17 races. Their performances were not only dominant within their own events, their race times even surpassed some of the boys’ results, securing both swimmers direct qualification for the Turkish Championship Finals in December in an astonishing eight events.

However, this success belongs to the entire team. Every swimmer improved on their personal best times, some by significant margins, reflecting the dedication, discipline and countless hours of training that take place both in and out of the pool.

Special thanks must go to the team’s coaches, particularly Head Coach Ali Turan, whose dedication and countless hours of training have helped make these results possible. Gratitude also goes to the families and supporters who donated fitness equipment, allowing the swimmers to complete essential land-training sessions alongside their pool work.

Also to the team’s sponsor Sinbad Jewelers for their continued support. The competition itself demanded enormous commitment.

Over three long days at Aydın University, the swimmers spent up to ten hours a day at the pool, travelling back and forth while also trying to keep up with schoolwork. With exams beginning just a week later, these young athletes will return straight to the classroom with little time to rest.

Samantha, Maya’s mother and a long-term resident of Didim, said: “Didim is becoming a real name in the swimming community. It’s wonderful to see so much new talent coming through the team. Maya loves looking after the younger swimmers at competitions, she is like a mother hen to them all.

“But what makes this team truly special is the dedication behind it. Our coaches work full-time jobs, support their own families, and still give everything to these children. They do it purely because they believe in them.

“And they achieve all of this while our town still doesn’t even have its own public swimming pool.” Thankfully the team continues to train at the Didim AKK pool before and after school hours, making the most of every opportunity they have.”

She added: “What this team achieved over the past two weekends was not simply a collection of medals — it was a powerful reminder of what can be accomplished through hard work, belief and community support.

“With young swimmers already qualifying for national finals and new talent emerging every season, Didim is rapidly establishing itself as a force in Turkish swimming. For Ege Yükselen Didim, this is only the beginning.”