Deisy Nhanquile – “I want to be the new golden girl”

When Deisy Nhanquile saw Ernesto Sumindila walk through the door of her classroom at Escola Primária Completa do Triunfo, little did she know that that meeting would change her life.  Sumindila was looking for new swimming talents. It wasn’t difficult for Deisy to make the decision, as she lived close to the beach and would occasionally go for a swim. “They even called me a little fish,” she tells us.

After mastering swimming, the invitation to learn sailing didn’t take long. Deisy, as usual, didn’t back down, although at first she didn’t like the sport so much. “I was 10 years old and sometimes it was very cold.”

The sea also robbed her of her childhood. She could no longer play with dolls, visit a friend or spend the weekend with her grandmother. “The other day, we sailed across to Xefina. The grown-ups were ahead. I started to cry, I had a lot of thoughts and I came back in the middle of the route.”

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Today, at the age of 22, when we see her at sea, that past seems very distant. The various medals she carried on her chest are also proof of this. Competing in Tokyo was the most defining moment in her career. But also the materialisation of a dream that she had been chasing for years and that she wanted to achieve with due merit. And as it is going well, her talent has painted the road (or the sea) for her to compete at the highest level.

Still, she feels eager to win. Deisy wants to dock in other ports and bring Mozambique a gold medal. “I want to be the new golden girl. The fight is for this to materialise by 2028.”

And she knows that when you want to compete at an international level, it’s not enough to have talent, you have to train, improve your technique and always be focused. “Liking what you do is essential. When I’m competing, I feel like there’s no boat, me and the sea. We are one. The boat and the sea complete me and make me light.”

And so far, she paved the way with the support of her family. From the father who encouraged her to go to training and from the mother who was present in moments of anguish. “I just don’t like them coming to see me compete. My mother cries a lot.”

Now, in addition to attending the Sports Management course at Eduardo Mondlane University, she is a coach, currently having nine athletes. It is where she forges dreams of other champions, thinking that one day they will be able to raise the flag of Mozambique elsewhere.

Issue 74 Jul/Aug | Download.