It’s important to swim your own race and not someone else’s
Posted on May 07, 2008 under Heart, Soul and Mind | 
Swimmer Natalie du Toit is one of South Africa’s top athletes.
She first competed internationally at the age of 14, when she took part in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
In February 2001 she was struck by a car while driving home from swimming practice on her scooter. She lost her left leg.
Three months later she was back in the pool, before she could even walk. She swims without the aid of a prosthetic limb.
During the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Natalie, who was then 18 years old, won both the multi-disability 50 m freestyle and the multi-disability 100 m freestyle in world record time. She also made sporting history by qualifying for the 800 m able-bodied freestyle final - the first time that an athlete with a disability had qualified for the final of an able-bodied event. At the closing of the Manchester Commonwealth Games, she was presented with the first David Dixon Award* for Outstanding Athlete of the Games.
In 2003, competing against able-bodied swimmers, Natalie won gold in the 800 metres freestyle at the All-Africa Games as well as silver in the 800 metres freestyle and bronze in the 400 metres freestyle at the Afro Asian Games.
She narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympics in Athens in 2004, but during the Paralympics that were held in the same city, she won one silver and five gold medals. In the same year, her courage and achievements were acknowledged with a nomination for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year 2004 with Disability Award. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games she repeated her previous performance by winning the same two golds as she had in Manchester. In 2006 Natalie also won six gold medals at the fourth IPC World Swimming Championships, finising third overall in a race which included 36 males and 20 females.
Four days ago Natalie qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fourth in the 10km open water ace at the Open Water World Championships in Seville, Spain. Her time was only 5.1 seconds off the winner.
She is hugely popular in South Africa and inspires people with her will and determination. Her motto is “Be everything you want to be“. Let’s make that our mission!
* David Dixon Award is named after the former honorary secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation for 17 years, David Dixon. It is given to the outstanding athlete of each of the Games based on their performance at the Commonwealth Games, fair play, and overall contribution to their team’s participation at the Commonwealth Games. The award was introduced in 2002 in Manchester.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Wow wow wow! She has a great spirit!
Netjanes last blog post..Ek moet eintlik iets anders doen, maar…
May 7th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
She certainly is one of my heroes! I will be crossing my fingers for her. And I like your heading, Hanlie. It is so very, very true!
Love,
Pippa
Pippas last blog post..Slow Living
May 7th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Excellent post! Thank you!
May 7th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
That’s very inspiring to me not to just people in south africa. I heard about a runner who was born with a pair of no-very-good-legs. She wasn’t able to walk very well when she was born and the doctor said that she might be on wheel chairs for the rest of her life. With her determinations, she start to walk, run and became the world #1 runner as well. I forgot her name. But I always remember what she did.
This reminds me about what the famous Helen Keller. She was the first deaf blind person who graduated from college. Thanks for the motivating post!
Colon Therapist + Bloggers last blog post..Very Interesting Video About Burger And Fries
May 7th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Reading that just gave me goosebumps! I’ll be looking for her in Beijing, Go Natalie!
BigGirls last blog post..Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
May 7th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Wow, her story is amazingly inspiring. It’s also incredibly humbling. It makes me think twice about complaining about my daily challenges in this body of mine, when I read about how she rose above and excelled with her’s.
chandas last blog post..Follow your bliss
May 7th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
“Be everything you want to be“. Let’s make that our mission!
I’ll second that motion, Hanlie. Here’s to all of us living the life we want!
Patties last blog post..Quilting Frenzy
May 7th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Still meant to say (you know me and meaning to do things!): 1) I love the Twitter and 2) So jealous of your trip to the States!
Netjanes last blog post..Tick-tock
May 7th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I love passionate and focused people.. what an amazing young woman.. thanks for posting that.
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May 8th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Your headline says it all.
What a motivational young woman.
Diana the Scale Junkies last blog post..every little things gonna be alright
May 8th, 2008 at 4:24 am
What an incredible story! Thanks for sharing!!
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May 8th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I’ll think of her when I don’t want to go out for a run at 5am tomorrow!
Andrew is getting fits last blog post..A stagger up Jacob’s Ladder!
May 8th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I always love stories of people who overcome the odds. Seriously if she can do all that with one leg think of what a person with both could do if they had her spirit and determination.
Thanks for the inspiring post!
Erins last blog post..
May 8th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I got my postcard! I put it on Mr. Linky.
Pixy Lisa
pixywinkss last blog post..Postcard Swap
May 8th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Wow, thanks for sharing this — what an incredible spirit. .
I know I don’t comment much, but I always very much enjoy your blog, Hanlie!
xo
Amy / radiosilentss last blog post..Back to OK
May 8th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Wow! What an inspiring story! Thanks for sharing.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Love the title of this blogspot.
She is truly an inspiration.
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