A trip to Japan will be as quick as getting in and out of the water for two Cook Island swimmers competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
Cook Island swimmers, Wesley Roberts and Kirsten Fisher-Marsters, get ready for Tokyo. Photo: Supplied
The Games get underway on the 23 July but with strict Covid-19 protocols in place, Wesley Tikiariki Roberts and Kirsten Fisher-Marsters will be in the country for less than 10 days.
"It's quick. I think I land five days before I compete and then race the first few days of the Olympics, and then I don't even get to watch the rest of the swimming," said Roberts, who is set to compete in the 200 and 400 metre freestyle.
"As soon as you finish your event you have to leave within 48 hours...so I'll be spending two weeks [back home] in quarantine just watching the Olympics."
The 24-year-old is known as the 'Atiu Rocket' back home, where he holds several national records.
This will be his second campaign after competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but he was expecting a very different experience this time around.
There will be no crowds at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics because of Covid-19. Photo: Supplied
"I'm pretty thankful I got to go to Rio and I got to experience what a normal Olympics is like, but this time it's strictly business," he explained.
"It's going to be very different and I think it's going to be easier just to focus on swimming and not get distracted by anything else because there isn't going to be anything else going on."
Covid-19 has been the epicentre of issues for athletes to compete at the Games this year, but for the Sydney-based swimmer, where stay-at-home orders have been introduced, lockdown and travel restrictions have helped him to compete at his best.
Lockdowns in Sydney have helped the Cook Island swimmer stay focused and race at his best. Photo: Supplied
"I was actually quite blessed I think to get an extra year when Covid came around, because I had a few shoulder problems at the end of 2019 that weren't going away.
"The time I managed to have off when Covid first hit, it kind of helped that heal and so I think that's what's allowed me to start swimming quicker than I ever have this year."
While friends and family won't be poolside when she makes her Olympic debut, for Kirsten Fisher-Marsters the journey to compete had already been one to remember.
The 23-year-old said being able to represent her and her father's homeland has brought her closer to her culture.
Kirsten Fisher-Marsters Photo: Supplied
"I met my biological father when I was 16 and it was in my teenage years when I was asked to swim for the Cook Islands," she said.
"I was sad that I didn't know a lot about my culture or the language but getting to know my Cook Island side has been quite a journey for me."
"Representing the Cook Islands actually means a lot because I've always wanted to feel more a part of my culture and I've always wanted to learn more about my heritage."
The Cook Islands Olympic Committee and the Aquatic Federation have helped her find who she is as a Cook Islander, she added.
"I've even met family through these places...it wasn't something I thought about doing as a 10-year-old. I didn't think about any country to swim for, but now I've never looked back."
Crowds or not, the swimming duo said representing the Cook Islands was something special, and they know the country will be cheering for them in spirit on the island.
