Nairobi — A 15-year-old Kenyan international swimmer has won a swimming and education scholarship at a prestigious UK university.

Sylvia Brunlehner of Bandari Swim Club, who boasts 22 national swimming records and several best performing awards since she was 12 years old, was awarded the scholarship by the sport's world governing body, Fina. She is expected to join Plymouth University in London, England, where another Kenyan international swimmer, Achieng' Ajulu-Bushnell, has been for two years now.

"The scholarship was borne of the hours she has put into training; it all comes down to discipline," Mombasa Academy and Bandari SC swimming coach Fakhry Mansoor said. Her mother, Phyllister Brunlehner, was all praise for the coach: "Mansoor has guided and trained my daughter and made her what she is today."

Sylvia holds four national records for girls 14-15 years in the 200 metres freestyle, which stands at two minutes 20.58 seconds. She also clocked 20:10.81 and 10:32.80 to set national records in the 1,500m and 800m freestyle events respectively. She also holds the 12-13 years 50m and 100m backstroke national records (31.99 and 1:11.21), and the national 50m butterfly record of 30.16 for girls 14-15 years.

Queen of the pool

The queen of the pool came into the limelight in June 2004, when she was awarded Best Female Swimmer runner-up nationally at the National Junior Swimming Championship held in Nairobi. At the National Age Group Swimming Championship in March 2005, she was declared the best swimmer in Kenya in her age group, a feat she replicated the following year at the same championship.

In March 2007, Sylvia was declared the fastest girl in the country during the Kenya Open Swimming Championship. She shattered two old national records in October at the National Age Group Swimming Championship and was declared the best female swimmer in Kenya.

In February 2008, she set six new national marks to clinch the nation's Best Female Swimmer award during the NASA Invitational Swimming Championship, an honour she got again a month later at the National Age Group & Open Swimming Championship in Nairobi.

In March this year, Sylvia broke six national records and was named the best female swimmer in Kenya in the open category. At the National Age Group & Open Relays Championships held in Mombasa last month, she wrote four new national 1,500m freestyle records and was again Kenya's best female swimmer.

Sylvia made her international debut in the Zambia International Swimming Championship in Lusaka in March 2005 under the Coast Amateur Swimming Association banner. In January 2006, she won a silver medal at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) continental competition in Mauritius. That March, she was in the Casa team for the Level 2 Swimming Championships in South Africa.

She won eight medals at the Zambia Invitational Championship in April 2007 and, that July, represented Kenya in the All Africa Games in Algeria and later the Africa Junior Championships in Egypt. In January last year, she won two gold, silver and bronze medals at the Annual Sub-Sahara Championship in Malawi and set four national records in 100m freestyle.

Last year, Sylvia competed in the Youth Commonwealth Games in Pune, India, and was on the Kenya team for the World Swimming Championship in Mexico. In December, she won a bronze medal at the Africa Senior Swimming Championship and set four new national records.

In June this year, she broke two Kenyan records at the World Swimming Championship in Rome, Italy, and last month won two silver medals at the Africa Junior Championship in Mauritius. Sylvia thanked her parents and sisters, Maria and Anna, for their support, as well as coach Mahsen Nyang'au for land training, the Mombasa Academy community for moral support and Casa for organising championships.

Sylvia recalled the first time she took part in a swim meet in Nairobi: "The water was so cold I couldn't breathe, and had to swim butterfly with my head out!" Her dream is to be a designer and sports model, as well as a volunteer swimming coach for the less fortunate. She is also on her school's basketball, water polo and netball teams.