Just a year ago, Didim swimmer Maya Gördüemel made headlines after qualifying for Turkey’s prestigious Sports Education Centre (SEM) programme. Only to find that bureaucracy prevented her from applying as Aydın Province did not have a SEM swimming programme.

It was a heartbreaking moment for Maya and her family. Many wondered whether such a disappointment would affect her confidence and love for the sport. Instead, it became the motivation to come back even stronger.

Over the past year Maya has continued to establish herself as one of the most promising young swimmers in Turkiye, proudly representing both Ege Yükselen Spor Kulübü and Didim Amerikan Kültür Koleji.

Balancing school and elite-level swimming is never easy, but Maya has continued to excel in both.

This season Maya again became the only swimmer from Didim to achieve the SEM qualifying standard and one of only three girls in the whole of Aydın Province to do so in her age group.

Her achievement is even more remarkable considering she trains without regular access to a 50-metre Olympic swimming pool, unlike many of the athletes she competes against.

However, Maya’s success is only one part of a much bigger story. This summer Ege Yükselen Spor Kulübü proudly took a team of five swimmers to the Turkish National Semi-Finals in Balıkesir.

The team consisted of Maya, Mira Zeynep Dedemen, Defne Şener, Eymen Aras Dal and Anıl Şahingiray, with each swimmer earning their place through months of dedication and hard work.

The performances showed just how much swimming in Didim has developed in recent years. One of the standout swimmers was Mira Zeynep Dedemen, who produced an outstanding championship by finishing inside the top four in all four of her races. Her consistency throughout the competition demonstrated that she is another exciting young talent with a bright future ahead.

Following their performances, both Maya Gördüemel and Mira Zeynep Dedemen qualified for the Turkish Championship Finals in Trabzon, where they will compete against the very best swimmers in the country.

The club’s success has continued beyond the younger age groups. Recently, Levent Alemdar and Yılmaz Enes Sağ proudly represented Aydın Province and Ege Yükselen Spor Kulübü at the ANALİG Turkey Group Championships in Bilecik, returning home with an impressive collection of medals for the over 13 category and once again showing that Didim is producing talented swimmers across several age groups.

These achievements are a reflection of the dedication shown by Head Coach Ali Turan, the coaching staff, the families and, above all, the swimmers themselves. Despite having fewer facilities than many larger cities, Ege Yükselen continues to compete with, and often outperform, clubs that have access to far greater resources.

Maya’s mother, Samantha, said: “Last year was one of the hardest moments of Maya’s sporting journey. She achieved the SEM qualifying time but wasn’t even allowed to apply because Aydın didn’t have a SEM swimming programme. Watching her work so hard only to be denied that opportunity was heartbreaking.

“Instead of giving up, she used that disappointment as motivation. We couldn’t be prouder of everything she has achieved this year.”

Samantha also wanted to recognise the role played by Didim Amerikan Kültür Koleji. “The school has been incredibly supportive of Maya throughout her swimming journey. Not only have they encouraged her to balance her education with elite sport, but they have also generously allowed our swimmers to use the school’s pool, which has been the only pool available for training in Didim.

“Without that support, many of these achievements simply wouldn’t have been possible. We are extremely grateful to the school for believing in our young athletes.”

Looking ahead, Samantha hopes that this year will finally bring good news for young swimmers across Aydın. “We have been told there is hope that Aydın may finally be included in the SEM swimming programme. We sincerely hope that happens, because talented children from our province deserve exactly the same opportunities as children elsewhere in Turkey.”

She also renewed her appeal for temporary access to a 50-metre swimming pool during the summer. “Our swimmers continue to compete against athletes who train every day in Olympic-size pools. We only need access to a 50-metre pool for around six weeks before the new school year begins. It would make an enormous difference, not only for Maya, but for every talented swimmer in our club. We would be incredibly grateful if any local hotel or organisation could help.”

As another successful season continues, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. What was once a small swimming programme in Didim is growing into one of the town’s greatest sporting success stories.

With talented young athletes such as Maya Gördüemel, Mira Zeynep Dedemen, Levent Alemdar and Yılmaz Enes Sağ, together with the dedication of Ege Yükselen Spor Kulübü, Didim Amerikan Kültür Koleji, their coaches and families, the future of swimming in Didim has never looked brighter.

The hope now is that 2026 will be remembered not only for medals, finals and remarkable achievements, but also as the year that Aydın’s young swimmers were finally given the opportunity to pursue their dreams through the SEM programme.