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Ilham Achmad held his trophy like a seasoned pro, smiling and posing for the cameras. The 12-year-old had just broken a national record during a provincial swim club competition last weekend in Simprug, South Jakarta.

“I feel great,” Ilham said. He had finished the 100-meter breaststroke in a time of 1:11.12, breaking the record for the 11- to 12-year-old age bracket, which had stood since 2008.

Ilham has been training at the Pyramid Swimming Club in Ragunan, South Jakarta, one of 21 Jakarta swim clubs that took part in the Kejuaraan Renang Antar Perkumpulan Daerah (Krapda), or regional swimming heats. In total, 286 athletes took to the pool for the competition, which was hosted by the JakartaQuatics Antasena (JAQ) Swimming Club.

The event has long served to identify the country’s most promising young swimmers. For this year’s competition, the young athletes were divided into five age categories, and have been training for months or possibly even years.

Fourteen-year-old Adityastha Rai, who has been swimming since he was a young boy, won eight gold medals over the weekend. But he didn’t start training seriously until five years ago. In addition to his studies, Adit goes to the pool up to nine times a week and drills himself in various swimming techniques, which he acknowledges can sometimes be tedious.

But for Adit, the experience has been incredibly rewarding.

“I always like being in the pool, and I can always meet my friends there,” he said. “We can practice and play together.”

For Claudia Ajeng Savitri, a 17-year-old high school student who has been training since she was 12, the competition was an opportunity to assess how she’s improved over the years.

“I wanted to know how fast I could swim,” she said. “I will know that all that practice has been worth it if I can beat my own best time.”

Claudia said she preferred distance races like the 800-meter and 1,500-meter. Over the last five years, she has taken part in a number of swim meets, which she says are both daunting and fun. “I like to participate in competitions because I can make new friends and take on new challenges,” she said.

Claudia says the key to becoming a good swimmer is sheer dedication and discipline. A member of the JAQ swim club, Claudia practices every morning and afternoon, swimming at least 4.5 to 5.5 kilometers a day. Her only days off are Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s tiring because I don’t go to the pool to play,” she said. “But to be a good swimmer, you have to always be training. Still, I find time to meet my friends.”

Most of these young swimmers aspire to be professional athletes and to take part in major competitions. Claudia has been selected to represent Jakarta in next year’s National Games. She said she hoped to become the next Elsa Manora Nasution, a former national athlete.

For Adit, one day swimming for Indonesia would be a dream come true. “I’ve always wanted to compete in the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games or even the Olympics,” he said.

Deni Wardeni, who was honored as the Best Coach during the competition, said it wasn’t always easy to teach children.

“As a coach, I have to know each child’s strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

Additionally, he has had to learn how to keep his charges interested. “When they start to get bored, I ask them to play water polo or other games,” he said.

Wisnu Wardhana, the founder of the JAQ swim club, said Krapda was an ideal place for finding future swimming stars. Wisnu, who now works at a bank, was himself a successful swimmer, and won seven medals at the 1993 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

There are four things that can make someone a great athlete, Wisnu said. “Commitment comes first,” he said, adding that talent, family support and a good education come next. “In today’s world, athletes are also required to master social and scientific knowledge.”

Krapda is also a way to remind young athletes and their parents that “being an athlete doesn’t mean you don’t have to go to school,” Wisnu said.

To help ensure the athletes study hard, JAQ introduced the Student Athlete Fund, a scholarship program.

Already, 12-year-old Ilham and Joanita Hapsari, 13, have received scholarship money to help pay for tuition and their school supplies.

“Through this program, we hope that young athletes can win medals for the country and enjoy academic success,” said Wisnu, who hopes that in the coming years the program will be able to send young athletes to train and compete abroad.

The JAQ swim club has been encouraging corporations and government institutions to support the program.

Among the sponsors has been Danone Aqua. Patrisia Marlina, Danone’s marketing manager, said the company supported the Student Athlete Fund because the program shared Danone’s values.

“We believe that if children can lead healthy lives starting from an early age, they will enjoy a bright future ahead,” Patrisia said.