Curro AquaElite Gala. The independent school Group, Curro Holdings, unveiled its inaugural AquaElite gala. Curro AquaElite Gala brought the country’s top swimmers to compete on 1 and 2 October. Hosted by Curro Hillcrest, Durban, the one-of-a-kind competition transformed school swimming competitions, delivering an ocean of excitement and inspiration.

Curro has also been making waves in the world of sports education and athletic triumph for the past 25 years. Curro garnered a reputation for being committed to sporting excellence as well as the development of young South African champions. The Group is setting new standards and shaping champions in and out of the pool. They create career pathways, forging powerful partnerships, and transforming entire communities.

The competition saw 32 schools from across the country competing. Each school only being allowed to enter six swimmers. State-of-the-art touch timing pads were also used at the gala. It ensured precise race timing but also open doors for swimmers to be considered for national selection.

“Curro is also immensely proud to have played a pivotal role in nurturing the talents of some of the nation’s future top swimmers through our very first Curro AquaElite Gala. Our goal was to introduce a fresh and innovative approach to swimming competitions, setting it apart from the galas that are usually held regionally,” says Jacques Nel, Business Manager at Curro Sport.

“Congratulations to all the winners especially Jessica Carmody from St Mary’s DSG for her outstanding achievement in winning the Best Performance by a Female title and also to Keyontae Raynard from Durban High School for his remarkable accomplishment in securing the Best Performance by a Male title. Their dedication and skill truly exemplify the spirit of Curro AquaElite.”

The complete list of winners is included below:

CO-ED TEAM AWARDS
Rank	Primary School	High School
1^st	Penzance Primary School	Curro Hillcrest
2^nd	Glenwood prep	Curro Hazeldean high school
3^rd	Curro Hillcrest Christian Academy	Sentraal High School

TEAM AWARDS
Rank	Junior Girls	Junior Boys	Senior Girls	Senior Boys
1^st	Penzance Primary School	Penzance Primary School	Curro Hillcrest	Durban High School
2^nd	Curro Hillcrest Christian Academy	Glenwood prep	St Mary’s DSG	Curro Hazeldean high school A
3^rd	St Mary’s DSG	Winston Park Primary School	Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje	Curro Hillcrest

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Award	Name	School
Junior Victrix	Payton Aitken	Penzance primary school
Junior Victor	Everraud Raynard	Penzance primary school
Senior Victrix	Jessica Carmody	St Mary’s DGS
Senior Victor	Kayontae Raynard	Durban high school
Best performance by a female	Jessica Carmody	St Mary’s DSG
Best performance by a male	Keyontae Raynard	Durban high school

The AquaElite Gala ended with a professional coaching clinic showcase on 3 October, hosted by international Olympic swimmer, Brett Hawke. Swimmers of all ages dream of learning from the best, and this event made that dream a reality.