Brendan Makira

Biography

Brendan Makira is a backstroke specialist who made his international debut for Cook Islands at the 2026 14th Oceania Swimming Championships in Fiji — at age 13, the youngest male competitor in the entire championship.

Competing in five individual events, Brendan delivered outstanding results for his age, qualifying for one A final and two B finals. He reached the final of the 200m Backstroke, finishing eighth with a time of 2:21.46, placed 12th in the 200m Individual Medley B final, and finished 15th in the 100m Backstroke. Along the way he posted personal bests of 1:05.22 in the 100m Backstroke and 30.37 in the 50m Backstroke, and also contested the 50m Backstroke (22nd) and 50m Breaststroke (28th).

Beyond his individual events, Brendan swam in the heats of both mixed relays, helping the Cook Islands team secure places in the finals of each — no small feat for a squad of its size. His efforts contributed directly to the team’s fifth-place finish in the Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay and seventh in the Mixed 200m Medley Relay.

Alongside his older brother Carter, Brendan represents the next generation of an established Cook Islands swimming family. To reach a top-8 and two top-16 placings at his first international competition marks him as one of the most promising young talents in the national programme.

Personal Bests