Kirsty Coventry
| Kirsty Coventry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Kirsty Leigh Coventry September 16, 1983 |
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Alma mater | Dominican Convent High School, Auburn University, Alabama, US. |
| Occupation |
|
| Organization | Kirsty Coventry Academy |
| Spouse(s) | Tyrone Seward |
| Parent(s) | Rob Coventry (father), Lyn Coventry (mother) |
| Relatives | Lauren Coventry (Sister) |
| Website | www |
Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation in 2018. Appointed Minister of Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture in 2023 Cabinet. Kirsty won several medals in recent Olympics over the years. She made history at the Sydney Olympic games by winning several medals and becoming the most successful Zimbabwean athlete at the Olympics. In 2018 she was
Appointed Chairperson For International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission.
In 2015, Kirsty and her spouse Tyrone Seward founded a Kirsty Coventry Academy, a non-profit organization that provides swimming lessons to children, adults, and coaches.
Personal Details
Born: 16 September 1983 in Harare.
Marriage: to long time boyfriend Tyrone Seward who also doubles as her manager. The two were first married in a traditional ceremony in which Tyrone paid lobola to the Coventry family. The traditional ceremony was then followed by a wedding [1]
School / Education
Primary:
Secondary: part of her studies at Dominican Convent High School.
Tertiary: Bachelor of Human Science Hotel and Restaurant Management, Auburn University in Alabama. On a full scholarship. [2] The swimming career of Kirsty benefited immensely from the state of the art facilities provided at Auburn[3][4]
Service/Career
Appointment as Chairperson
In January 2018 Kirsty Coventry was appointed as the Chairperson of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athlete's Commission. Coventry had been a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission since 2012 and took over from outgoing chairperson, United States ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero. Coventry became the third successive female IOC Athletes’ Commission chair after Ruggiero and German fencer Claudia Bokel and the first chair from Africa after Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks as well as the first African woman chairperson. Kirsty Coventry Appointed Chairperson For International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission
Ministry
Formerly Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry was reappointed following the 23-24 August 2023 elections, when President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced his new cabinet on 11 September 2023. It included the Ministry of Youth Empowerment Development and Vocational Training, with Tino Machakaire as Minister and Mpamanga Jnr as deputy.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa also appointed Kirsty Coventry as minister and Emily Jesaya as deputy to the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
Events
At 16, Coventry [4] had been part of the Zimbabwe Olympic team that did not win any medals in the Sydney games. At the Athens games, Coventry made the headlines by winning three medals namely gold, silver and bronze. [5] In the 2008 Olympic games, she retained her gold title in the 200 m backstroke. [2] Coventry also added four silver and another bronze to her medals tally, bringing the sum total to 7 medals; 2 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze. Coventry has also won three long course world titles, winning the 100 and 200 m backstroke in 2005 and her specialty event, the 200 m backstroke in 2009. At the 2008 short course World Championships, she triumphed in four events. [2]
At Auburn University, Coventry managed to get into the school's swimming team. She first shot to prominence in the Commonwealth games in 2002 held in Manchester where she clinched a gold medal in the 200-metre individual medley event[5]
Awards
2004 Olympic games- Athens, Greece
- Gold 200m backstroke
- Silver
- Bronze
2008 Olympic games- Beijing, China
- Gold 200m backstroke
- Silver 400m Individual Medley
- Silver 100m backstroke
- Silver 200m Individual Medley.
2011 All-Africa Games - Maputo, Mozambique
- Gold in the 200 m IM (2:13.70)
- Gold in the 400 m IM (4:44.34)
- Gold in the 100 m backstroke (1:00.86 CR)
- Gold in the 200 m backstroke (2:12.40)
- Silver in the 100 m butterfly (1:02.20)
- Silver in the 4x100 m medley (4:24.01)
- Silver in the 4x100 m freestyle (3:57.81)
- Silver in the 4x200 m freestyle[6]
2015 All-Africa Games- Congo Brazzaville
- Gold in the 100m backstroke (1:01.15)[7]
African Union Sports Council 2015 Region 5 Awards
- Sportswoman of the Year-won[8]
Video Gallery
References
- ↑ Kirsty Coventry ties the knot, DailyNews, Published: August 12, 2013, Retrieved: July 10, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kirsty Coventry, Retrieved: July 10, 2014
- ↑ The Person Retrieved July 10, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kirsty Coventry Bio, Published: No Date Given, Retrieved: July 21, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Robert Mutsauki, Athens 2004: The inside story, The Herald, Published: June 1, 2012, Retrieved: July 10, 2014
- ↑ KIRSTY COVENTRY, Arena, Retrieved: July 10, 2014
- ↑ Kirsty grabs gold for Zim, Herald, Published: September 10, 2015, Retrieved: September 10, 2015
- ↑ ,[ https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2016/06/10/manyuchi-coventry-nominated-for-ausc-awards Manyuchi, Coventry nominated for AUSC awards], Daily News, published: June 10, 2016, retrieved: June 10, 2016
