19 Feb 2026

When she raked in three gold medals at the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Championships in eSwatini last September, Jade Chilisa knew instantaneously that the path she has been walking since infancy had finally started paying off.

She had come into the competition as a debutante, but she walked away all decked in gold, having clinched the medals in the 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and the 50m fly.

In the course of securing the top spots, Jade also set two new Championship Records (CRs) of 28.62 and 1:10.05 for the 50m backstroke and the 100m breaststroke, respectively.

Jade’s journey of conquering the waters began in an unconventional way.

At just nine months of age, her parents decided to introduce her to the waters of a swimming pool as a way of training her for safety purposes.

Unbeknown to them, that act of love was a seed that would later sprout and blossom into something truly beautiful-a seed that has since begotten a potential world icon in swimming.

And because an apple does not fall far from the tree, the 12-year-old from Goshwe is following on the footsteps of her father, Will Chilisa, whose achievements she has dwarfed already.

Jade’s choice of swimming over other sporting codes came naturally.

The early introduction to water and the fact that she spends most of her time in the pool at home solidified her affinity to water.

Her late grandmother, who saw the swimming potential in her, also triggered ripples in the little girl’s heart by tagging her along to different swimming galas.

The rest, as the adage holds, is now history.

Jade started participating in swimming competitions at Thornhill Primary School, and later transferred to a school in Pretoria, South Africa where competition is fiercer.

“The competition in Pretoria is tough, but I am enjoying the challenges; they force me to work extra hard,” she said.

Her ambition is to someday make it to the Olympics, hence her working hard now.

Who knows, she might be Botswana’s talisman to its first-ever Olympic swimming medal!

And worth noting is that Jade’s achievements are not results of solo effort.

She has a robust support system, which includes her parents, fellow athletes and coaches.

Her mother, Refilwe Chilisa, has had the privilege of watching her grow, not only as a swimmer, but also as a disciplined and determined young athlete.

“Jade is focused, hardworking and incredibly resilient for her age. She approaches every training session with purpose and understands that success in swimming comes from consistency and sacrifice,” she said.

Chilisa is always in awe of Jade’s competitive spirit, which is balanced with humility.

“Whether she is racing the 50m freestyle or pushing through the 800m freestyle, she gives her absolute best, She is goal-driven and is constantly working to improve her times. She always listens to her coaches and learns from every race,” she noted.

For Chilisa, her daughter’s admirable demeanour extends beyond the pool as the youngster is respectful, coachable, and maintains a strong commitment to her academics.

The mother is glad that her daughter understands that being an athlete also means being responsible enough to represent both her club and country with pride.

She believes that Jade has the potential to grow into one of Botswana’s outstanding female swimmers.

“As her mother, I am most proud of her perseverance and the discipline she shows daily. She gives everything in every race, whether it’s a sprint or a long-distance event,” she said.

After all is said and done, Jade’s resilience is astounding: the early mornings, the hard training, and the unwavering commitment to always improve will bear fruit.

And as things are, she is not just chasing medals, she is building character and edging Botswana closer and closer to the possibility of winning an Olympics medal in swimming. ENDS