Johannesburg swimmer Mayuri Bhowan will mark a major milestone at the 2026 aQuellé Midmar Mile as she aims to cross the finish line for the 20th time.
It’s a journey that began as a 12-year-old in 1995 and has now become a family tradition spanning generations. Beside her will be her 14-year-old daughter, Kiara Naidoo, who is targeting her fifth crossing of the famous KwaZulu-Natal dam.
For Bhowan, the aQuellé Midmar Mile, which this year takes place from 5-8 February, has always been about more than just swimming. “My parents played a huge role in inspiring me to swim my very first Midmar Mile in 1995. They saw potential and drive in me, and I just needed that extra nudge. I already loved swimming, especially long-distance swims, so the idea of swimming the Midmar Mile excited me,” she recalls.
“Completing that first race gave me an incredible sense of accomplishment. I was instantly hooked. For the first time after trying many extracurricular activities, I realised that swimming was the one thing that brought me the most joy.”
Over the years, the Midmar Mile became a weekend the family looked forward to. “I simply loved it. My parents always went the extra mile to make sure I could be there, and that support meant everything. It also became a special family weekend away, which added to the magic… Those weekends, the travel, the preparation, and the family time became just as special as the race itself and are a big reason why Midmar has always held such a special place in my heart.
“Those memories, combined with the atmosphere and sense of achievement, kept pulling me back year after year.”
Now, that tradition continues with Bhowan’s daughter, Kiara. “I saw the same drive and motivation in my daughter. She’s very much a mini‑me. She started swimming competitively at the age of nine.”
Describing their first Midmar swim together in 2022, Bhowan reckoned: “It was completely surreal. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride swimming alongside her.
“It means the world to me. After narrowly pipping her in our first Midmar swim together, she now beats me by a large margin, and she’s performing even better than I did at her age.”
Since then, Kiara has completed the aQuellé Midmar Miles four times and is now aiming for her fifth, while Bhowan prepares for her 20th. “Completing 20 Midmar Mile swims would be a huge personal milestone for me. It means 20 family gatherings, 20 years of smiles and 20 years of family bonding. To be doing it alongside my daughter, who will be swimming her fifth mile, makes it even more meaningful as she, too loves the family time together.”
The family’s Midmar tradition extends beyond the water. Their pre-race ritual includes a short getaway in the Drakensberg, filled with hearty meals, cricket matches, stretching sessions, and plenty of quality time together. And on race day, the banks of the dam are lined with generations of supporters – Bhowan’s parents, her brother Amit (himself a 10-time Midmar finisher), her husband, and her son.
“My parents have never missed a single race even after I got married, so having my lifelong supporters still by our side is very special to both my daughter and I.”
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