'Representation matters’: Callan Lotter on inspiring the next generation of women in open-water swimming

JOHANNESBURG - "Young women in sport need more support if they are to thrive,” says South African open-water swimmer Callan Lotter, who believes greater opportunities and visible female role models are vital to keeping women in competitive swimming.

Callan Lotter took up open-water swimming at age 12 and has since represented South Africa at two World Championships, while also winning at least three national titles.

She spoke to Eyewitness News about her love for the unpredictable open water.

“A friend invited me to join her for a 3km open-water race when I was 12 years old. I swam a South African qualifying time and decided to aim for my first Open Water Nationals. I loved how unpredictable open water is - no two races are ever the same. Sometimes it’s calm, sometimes it’s rough, and you’re always racing the elements as well as the competitors. I think that’s what hooked me, it’s adventurous, challenging, and really rewarding.”

Looking ahead, Lotter plans to build more international experience in hopes of closing the gap between herself and the world’s best open-water swimmers.

“Every race is a chance to learn, and I want to use the racing experience to get stronger and smarter. I also want to inspire more girls to give open water a try and see just how exciting it can be.”

The Pretoria University student said she would love to see more support given to female swimmers, especially in open water.

“I’d love to see more support for young female swimmers, especially in open water. Things like more competitions, better access to coaching and facilities. We need to create spaces where women feel encouraged to stay in the sport longer. Representation matters too, having more visible role models for young girls makes a huge difference.”

The 19-year-old recently represented South Africa at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where she secured 16th place in all three of the events she contested – the 5km, 10km, and the newly introduced 3km knockout swim.

“It was one of the toughest competitions with the heat and humidity really testing me. The 10km was postponed twice, and with the warm water and waves my body started cramping early. I knew it was going to be a long race, and I had to dig deep. While I didn’t finish exactly where I wanted, I walked away proud of how I handled the race and with a clear idea of what I need to improve on.”

That was a marked improvement on the 29th place she achieved in the 10km at last year’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

“That race taught me that open water is as much about the mind as it is about the body. Conditions change so quickly - one minute you’re in the pack, the next you’re battling waves or pace surges. We as South Africans really need more exposure to open-water swimming.”

Lotter said the open-water swimming scene overseas, compared to South Africa, is far bigger, with deeper competition and many more races.

“European countries have an open water race about every weekend, and each country has a big field of competitors to choose from for competitions. In South Africa, we have the talent, but we have competitions per province in the open water season, and we only race each other during SA Nationals. Racing overseas has shown me just how competitive open water is and how it is growing in the world.  We as South Africans need more opportunities to race in Europe to better our Open water skills.”