SOPHIE KONDERAKSophie Konderak, a talented teenage swimmer whose dream was to win an Olympic gold medal, died suddenly after becoming short of breath during a training session on 15 September, 2009.The family of Sophie said they were in a state of "utter shock" after their fit and healthy daughter collapsed at Braunstone Leisure Centre.Sophie was training for the City of Leicester Swimming Club.She had not had any medical problems before.Her parents, John and Lesley Konderak, Knighton, Leicester, described the 16-year-old as "the perfect daughter" and said she lived for the water.Sophie's heartbroken mum, who shared a birthday with her daughter, said: "She was such a beautiful, kind, hardworking and loving girl and we had a really special bond."From the moment she could talk, she would tell me that she loved me every single day. We used to do everything together."Sports-kee n Sophie had started at Leicester's Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College two weeks ago, where she had been accepted into the college netball team. She had recently passed her lifeguard qualification and was hoping to get a part-time job as a lifeguard at Braunstone Leisure Centre.Sophie had been a member of City of Leicester Swimming Club since she was 13 and joined Leicester Penguins two years ago.She would swim at the leisure centre seven times a week, in the mornings before school and in the evenings.On the day she died, she got up at 5.45am for a swim before college, where she was studying chemistry, biology and maths.Dad John said Sophie's passion for swimming started young.He said: "Her former headmaster said she was such a talented and hardworking girl she could achieve anything she wanted. It was her dream to win an Olympic gold."The couple said their son, Tom, 21, adored his sister and would often drive her to swimming practice.Stuart Henson, who coached Sophie when she was at Braunstone Swimming Club, described her as one of the hardest workers he had ever seen.He said: "She was one of the fittest swimmers in her age group in the country and was tipped for great things."Everyone in the swimming world is absolutely shocked."Leicester City Council's head of sports services Paul Edwards said: "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family."http://www. thisisleicestershire .co.uk/ news/Shock-death-tee nage- Olympic-hopeful-Leic ester- pool/article-1346617 -detail/ article.html [thisisleicestershir e.co.uk]
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