<p> Gaurika Singh may be the youngest competitor at the Olympic Games in Rio but the 13-year-old says there's nothing unusual about that in her London school.<br /><br />The Nepalese swimmer will be the youngest competitor at the Games when she dives into the water for the 100m backstroke heats on Sunday.<br /><br />But she said such achievements at Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls in Hertfordshire, England -- a highly competitive independent school -- are par for the course.<br /><br />When asked what her school friends think about her Rio jaunt, Singh told AFP: "They're happy for me but a lot of people at my school are successful!</p>.<p><br />"Like national tennis players, a girl playing in the Harry Potter film -- the new one -- and Matilda on Broadway.<br /><br />"So, yeah, we all have different opportunities."<br />Singh, who was born in her native Nepal but moved to Britain when she was two -- first to Scotland, then Preston and Leeds before her family finally settled in London -- is not even sure she's the best athlete in her school.<br /><br />"There's a Wimbledon player in the sixth form, doing junior Wimbledon."<br />Singh may be making waves in Brazil due to her age but she is taking it all in her stride.<br />"I don't really think about it much, I'm here competing like everyone else, so I don't see any difference."<br /><br />However, she does admit that she never dreamed of becoming an Olympian when she first started swimming as a "hobby".</p>.<p>"I started swimming while I was really young but I didn't think it would take me this far," she admitted.<br /><br />"I started swimming competitively when I was nine and I didn't really think I would be here, so it's amazing and unbelievable." </p>.<p> Singh trains at the Barnet Copthall club in London with two other Rio Olympians, Pakistanis Harris Bandy and Lianna Swan.<br /><br />But her road to the Olympics began when her coach decided she should try out for the Nepalese team.<br /><br />"My coach wondered if I could do the national swimming (championships) in Nepal so it first started then," said Singh.<br />- Goodwill ambassador -<br /><br />That led to the most "terrifying" experience of her life, though, as Singh was in Kathmandu during the 2015 earthquake that devastated the country, leaving almost 9,000 people dead.</p>.<p>floor apartment as the earthquake struck before escaping by the stairs to flee aftershocks.<br />"Fortunately, it was a new building so it did not collapse like others around," she said.</p>.<p>But tragedy led to another opportunity for Singh who collaborates with a charitable organisation called Shanti Education Initiative.</p>.<p>"My dad's friend originally had a charity to build schools that the earthquake destroyed," said Singh.<br />"They made me a goodwill ambassador and I donated all the prize money I got (to it)."</p>.<p>In a country not known for its swimming prowess, Singh's stock and profile is set to blossom in her homeland.<br /><br />It's a remarkable journey for a young girl who swam "for fun".<br />"It's one of those things you take up as a child and drop off later, but I liked it!" she said with a giggle.<br /><br />Not dropping off later proved to be a wise choice for the precocious teenager with a classic English accent. Although she'll still be hard-pushed to impress her school friends. </p>
<p> Gaurika Singh may be the youngest competitor at the Olympic Games in Rio but the 13-year-old says there's nothing unusual about that in her London school.<br /><br />The Nepalese swimmer will be the youngest competitor at the Games when she dives into the water for the 100m backstroke heats on Sunday.<br /><br />But she said such achievements at Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls in Hertfordshire, England -- a highly competitive independent school -- are par for the course.<br /><br />When asked what her school friends think about her Rio jaunt, Singh told AFP: "They're happy for me but a lot of people at my school are successful!</p>.<p><br />"Like national tennis players, a girl playing in the Harry Potter film -- the new one -- and Matilda on Broadway.<br /><br />"So, yeah, we all have different opportunities."<br />Singh, who was born in her native Nepal but moved to Britain when she was two -- first to Scotland, then Preston and Leeds before her family finally settled in London -- is not even sure she's the best athlete in her school.<br /><br />"There's a Wimbledon player in the sixth form, doing junior Wimbledon."<br />Singh may be making waves in Brazil due to her age but she is taking it all in her stride.<br />"I don't really think about it much, I'm here competing like everyone else, so I don't see any difference."<br /><br />However, she does admit that she never dreamed of becoming an Olympian when she first started swimming as a "hobby".</p>.<p>"I started swimming while I was really young but I didn't think it would take me this far," she admitted.<br /><br />"I started swimming competitively when I was nine and I didn't really think I would be here, so it's amazing and unbelievable." </p>.<p> Singh trains at the Barnet Copthall club in London with two other Rio Olympians, Pakistanis Harris Bandy and Lianna Swan.<br /><br />But her road to the Olympics began when her coach decided she should try out for the Nepalese team.<br /><br />"My coach wondered if I could do the national swimming (championships) in Nepal so it first started then," said Singh.<br />- Goodwill ambassador -<br /><br />That led to the most "terrifying" experience of her life, though, as Singh was in Kathmandu during the 2015 earthquake that devastated the country, leaving almost 9,000 people dead.</p>.<p>floor apartment as the earthquake struck before escaping by the stairs to flee aftershocks.<br />"Fortunately, it was a new building so it did not collapse like others around," she said.</p>.<p>But tragedy led to another opportunity for Singh who collaborates with a charitable organisation called Shanti Education Initiative.</p>.<p>"My dad's friend originally had a charity to build schools that the earthquake destroyed," said Singh.<br />"They made me a goodwill ambassador and I donated all the prize money I got (to it)."</p>.<p>In a country not known for its swimming prowess, Singh's stock and profile is set to blossom in her homeland.<br /><br />It's a remarkable journey for a young girl who swam "for fun".<br />"It's one of those things you take up as a child and drop off later, but I liked it!" she said with a giggle.<br /><br />Not dropping off later proved to be a wise choice for the precocious teenager with a classic English accent. Although she'll still be hard-pushed to impress her school friends. </p>