Bloemfontein hockey player Kayla Swarts is excited and ready to experience the Olympic Games for the first time.

The 21-year-old is a reserve for the women’s hockey team, and with the nature of the sport, chances are she will get to play.

Swarts is the younger sister of the man who sensationally broke the 400 m world record in 43,03 seconds to win gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Wayde van Niekerk. He will be competing in the 200 m sprint this year.

Van Niekerk will arrive in Paris on Friday (26/7), and Swarts said she cannot wait.

‘It’s so special that I get to share this opportunity with my brother’

“My brother will only be arriving tomorrow, so I’m really excited for the moment that he gets here and we get our picture at the rings,” said Swarts. “I think it’s so special that I get to share this opportunity with my brother, and I’m really looking forward to making so many memories with him.

“He always just tells me to be present and take in every single moment because you don’t want to look back and regret not having fun or doing certain things with your teammates. He always tells me to just be grounded and be present in the moment. He said that once he arrives here, he'll be my wingman, so he'll show me the ropes. So I’m really excited for when he arrives.”

Swarts and Van Niekerk will be together on the boat on the River Seine during the opening ceremony which will officially get the Games underway on Friday night.

Kayla Swarts and Wayde van Niekerk. Photo: Instagram. 

On the Olympic experience thus far, Swarts said it has been surreal and it’s also been special to be able to see athletes that they have always looked up to, like the two Spanish tennis stars, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. “It’s been a really surreal experience being at my first Olympics.

“You’ve seen the village for the first time, being surrounded by athletes that you’ve always looked up to in your life. I think it’s so cool that my dreams have finally become a reality, so it's been really amazing being here.

“I’ll be honest, with Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, I wasn’t able to. We all jumped to get photos of them because I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but with the rest, I think you just have to ground yourself and know that you're here for a reason.

“We’re all in a professional setup, so understanding that you can’t go crazy for athletes because we’re all focused and focused on what we’re here for.”

The SA women will get their hockey campaign underway on Sunday when they face Australia. This match will get underway at 12:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg/mvh