Braun takes her passion for swimming beyond the finish line

A 15-year-old Herzlia High School long-distance swimmer has raised more than R127 000 to help other children learn to swim. 

For Mia Braun, swimming has become about far more than personal achievement. She founded an initiative called Stroke for Hope to support water safety and swimming opportunities for children. And to raise funds, she’s completed increasingly demanding open-water swims, including the 7.4km Robben Island Freedom Swim, a cross-continental crossing in Turkey, and an 11km swim around Cape Point. 

Her journey began in 2024 when she started playing water polo. While training to maintain her fitness, she discovered that she preferred swimming longer distances. “I really like doing long distance. I don’t like sprinting. What’s something that I can do that is more long distance?” she recalled asking herself. 

She began considering the Robben Island swim as a personal challenge. Initially, she thought it was an unrealistic ambition. However, as her interest in endurance swimming grew, she became increasingly determined to attempt it. 

In December 2025, she asked her former swimming coach, Britt Hyland, who had taught her to swim at the age of one, to help her develop a training programme, which began in January this year. Braun trained from 06:00 three mornings a week at the Camps Bay Primary School pool. She also incorporated open-water sessions at Clifton into her preparation. 

She began the year with her first open-water swim, the 1.6km New Year’s Day Mile at Clifton. It was an important step towards her ultimate goal. 

Another opportunity emerged when she was selected in March as one of 50 members of the Cape Town Junior City Council. The council is a youth-led initiative that gives young people an opportunity to participate in civic activities and community projects. Each councillor is expected to develop and implement a project benefitting the community. 

Braun decided to combine her two interests, swimming and helping others, by turning her Robben Island challenge into a fundraiser. She established Stroke for Hope and created a BackaBuddy campaign to raise money for swimming lessons for children who might otherwise lack access to them. 

Her original fundraising target was R30 000, but she was uncertain she would reach it. However, she raised more than R127 000 in less than a month. 

The motivation behind the initiative came from her concern about drowning and water safety in South Africa. She wanted to help children develop the confidence and skills needed to be safe around and in water. 

On 22 May, Braun completed the 7.4km Robben Island Freedom Swim in two hours and 44 minutes. 

Knowing that she had already exceeded her fundraising target gave the crossing additional meaning. “The biggest motivation throughout the swim was that I could save a life just by doing my swim,” she wrote. 

Although her shoulders became sore and fatigue set in towards the end, she continued. Friends waiting for her at the finish made the achievement particularly memorable. 

What began as a single fundraising challenge has since developed into an ongoing commitment. Braun has partnered with organisations working to introduce children to swimming and other water-based activities. 

One of these is Glide Along Aquatics, a swimming school and training organisation based in Atlantis. Run by Gerrie Coetzee, a former police officer, it aims to give children opportunities away from dangerous environments and street life. 

Braun sponsored eight of its swimmers to attend the 45th annual Freda Barnard Gala in Oudtshoorn in early October. The club placed 27th out of 36 participating clubs, despite being represented by only eight swimmers. 

She has also become involved with the Little Optimist, a sailing academy based at the V&A Waterfront. The organisation uses sailing to provide therapeutic support and life skills to marginalised and health-compromised children. 

Braun has spent time at its Cape Town branch and delivered a motivational speech to young participants. 

“Seeing the smiles on their faces after getting in the boat and watching how they get more confident makes me remember why I did the Robben Island swim,” she wrote. 

Her own swimming achievements have continued to grow alongside the fundraising work. 

On 30 August, she travelled to Turkey to participate in the annual 5km Hellespont swim, from the European side of Turkey to the Asian side. 

Braun was the youngest international swimmer and finished 72nd among 866 female participants, completing the crossing in approximately one hour and 10 minutes. 

Her next challenge came unexpectedly. After returning to Cape Town, she found that she was struggling to maintain her motivation without another swimming goal. 

She asked her mother to contact Derrick Fraser, a Big Bay events organiser, about possible challenges. He suggested the Three Capes swim, an endurance crossing around the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula. The swim is approximately 10.2km and takes place infrequently because of the weather and sea conditions around Cape Point. 

Just three days after the initial discussion, conditions appeared favourable for a crossing on 5 October. Braun consulted Hyland, who agreed to accompany her. She hadn’t specifically trained for the challenge and was swimming approximately 9km a week at the time. 

The swim presented several obstacles, including seals, kelp beds, strong currents, and water temperatures of between 13°C and 14°C. She eventually completed the approximately 11km in just more than four hours. 

Braun said the mental demands of open-water swimming are as significant as the physical challenges. “I think that a big part of it is very mental. You’ve got to stay with it mentally,” she said. 

Herzlia principal Shane Brorson said Braun had represented the school in several different spheres and had demonstrated determination through her swimming achievements. 

“She has been a role-model to not only the pupils at our school, but the parents and community at large,” he said. “I am extremely proud of Mia and proud to have her as a pupil of Herzlia High School.” 

Balancing her commitments with schoolwork can be challenging, particularly during exams. However, Braun said she enjoyed keeping busy and wouldn’t have it any other way. 

She hopes to complete a double Robben Island swim covering approximately 14km to raise further funds for Stroke for Hope. 

She is also interested in participating in an Oceanman event, an international open-water swimming competition that includes a 10km distance. 

For now, her focus remains on expanding Stroke for Hope and reaching more children who need access to swimming lessons. “I want to use my passion for long-distance swimming to make an even bigger difference,” she wrote. “For me, the goal is no longer just about how far I can swim, but how many lives I can help change along the way.”