“ My daughter was never raised by the [Whanganui] river but when I see her swim I know the river is very much in her blood.”
Those are the words of Isha Pomana, the proud māmā of Laticia Transom, who competed at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas thanks in part to a grant from the Te Āti Hau Trust. The 17-year-old Brisbane-based but Manawatū-born teenager, described as a ‘swimming sensation’ by Australian sport media, also represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast earlier this year and was awarded the prestigious title of Junior Māori Sportswoman of the Year 2017. Laticia can also sound-off an impressive list of gold, silver and bronze medal wins but she prefers to start her story with the sacrifices made by her mum and dad. Both her parents whakapapa to Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi. Her dad Gladwynne Transom is from the Kawau family and Kauangaroa Marae and her mother Isha hails from the Haami and Tapa families and Ruakā Marae. “I was only five when my parents moved us from Taihape, where dad worked as a shearer, to Australia,” says Laticia. “They moved because there were more opportunities in Australia but I know Taihape is their home and they’ll return there when all their children have grown up.” “My swimming lessons started when I was seven, so I could learn water safety. Then I continued them so I could learn how to compete in the pool.”
Left and above: Laticia Transom wants to represent her country at the 2020 Olympic Games
“So for the past 10 years, every time I have come up for air mum and dad have always been there for me cheering me on.”
Isha and Gladwynne started their own lawn-mowing business in Brisbane a few years ago to balance work with raising their five children.
“The least I can do is acknowledge them for that by doing the best I can in everything I do.”
“We’ve had to create work that we can do while ensuring the needs and dreams of our children are our first priority. Laticia is the second eldest so we’ve still got a lot of work to do even when she goes off to university,” says Isha.
Isha says she is amazed at her daughter’s commitment to the sport. “She works so hard for it – 4.30am wake-ups every morning so she can train. Then more training after school,” says Isha. “We are a water people. It doesn’t matter where we live; we need to be around it all the time. My husband constantly takes the kids out eeling in streams over here, just so they can get their water fix.”
The Brisbane Girls’ Grammar student heads to the University of Southern California in America next year to take up a degree in psychology. “I’m really excited about going to the US. Australia has given me so much and I’m sure the US will too, but my dream is to represent TOITŪ TE TANGATA
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