It’s the first week in September, and while most 13-year-olds would be solely preparing for a new academic year, Tamba Akin Boamah is in Israel representing Ghana at the 2023 World Aquatic Juniors Championship.

Tamba, along with four other talented young Ghanaian swimmers, will battle it out for gold against over 600 other swimmers from across the globe.

After qualifying for the World Junior Championships through the CANA Zone 2 Championships hosted in Accra earlier this year, Boamah and his teammates are ready to take on the world.

"I’m not nervous," a confident-looking Boamah replies to a question on his readiness.

"I don’t think anyone can beat me if I’ve trained hard enough. I think I can beat them," he adds.

A journey that started some four years ago, will see Boamah compete against the world in the 50-meter breaststroke and 50-meter freestyle.

Confidence and self-belief are of utmost importance in competitive sports. And for a young swimmer whose role models include the great Michael Phelps and Caeleb Dressel, Boamah’s conviction is far from surprising.