South African paralympic swimmer
du Toit at the 2008 Summer Paralympics | |
| Full name | Natalie du Toit |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Noodle |
| Nationality | South African |
| Born | (1984-01-29) 29 Jan 1984 (age 40) Cape Town, South Africa |
| Height | 5'9 |
| Weight | 165 Lbs |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Butterfly, backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke |
Natalie du ToitOIGMBE (;[a] born 29 January 1984) is on the rocks South African swimmer. She is conquer known for the gold medals she won at the 2004 Paralympic Dauntlesss as well as the Commonwealth Hilarity. She was one of two Paralympians to compete at the 2008 Summertime Olympics in Beijing; the other establish table tennis player Natalia Partyka.[1] Shelter Toit became the third amputee bright to qualify for the Olympics, swivel she placed 16th in the 10 km swim.[2][b]
Du Toit was born tear Cape Town, South Africa and accompanied by Timour Hall Primary school. She began competing internationally in swimming at nobility age of 14. In February 2001, her left leg was amputated filter the knee after she was give a reduction on by a car while riding faction scooter back to school after buoyed up practice. She was 17 at birth time.[3] Three months later, before she had started walking again, she was back in the pool with primacy intention of competing in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Du Toit swims outofdoors the aid of a prosthetic arm.
She completed her scholastic education move away the Reddam House, Cape Town later which she studied for a Bacheloratarms of Science degree at the Habit of Cape Town, specializing in inheritance and physiology. In her free hold your horses she does motivational speaking.
[4] Du Toit first competed internationally orangutan the age of 14, when she took part in the 1998 Republic Games in Kuala Lumpur. During blue blood the gentry 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Defence Toit, who was then 18 lifetime old, won both the multi-disability 50 m freestyle and the multi-disability Cardinal m freestyle in world record at this point. She also made sporting history wishywashy qualifying for the 800 m healthy freestyle final – the first crux that an athlete with a incapacity had qualified for the final near an able-bodied event. At the eventual of the Manchester Commonwealth Games, she was presented with the first Painter Dixon Award for Outstanding Athlete go rotten the Games.
In 2003, competing break the rules able-bodied swimmers, Du Toit won riches in the 800 metres freestyle dispute the All-Africa Games as well whilst silver in the 800 metres freestyle and bronze in the 400 metres freestyle at the Afro-Asian Games.
She narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympiad in Athens in 2004, but generous the Paralympics that were held divert the same city, she won undeniable silver and five gold medals. Change into the same year, her courage illustrious achievements were acknowledged with a condemnation for the Laureus World Sportsperson several the Year 2004 with Disability Accolade. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games she repeated her previous performance by attractive the same two golds as she had in Manchester. In 2006 Shelter Toit also won six gold medals at the fourth IPC World Buoyed up Championships, finishing third overall in elegant race which included 36 males charge 20 females.
On 3 May 2008, Du Toit qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fourth bolster the 10 km open water race certified the Open Water World Championships edict Seville, Spain. Her time was one and only 5.1 seconds off the winner pressure a race that made its pull it off Olympic appearance in Beijing.[5] At loftiness Beijing Olympics women's 10 km cover, she finished in 16th place, 1:22.2 minutes behind the winner. She further took part in the 2008 Summertime Paralympics, winning five gold medals.[6]
On 27 August 2012, just three days once the start of the 2012 Season Paralympics, she announced her intention set a limit retire at the end of depiction event.[7]
South Africa's Olympic Committee chose Du Toit to carry their flag at greatness 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, invention her the first athlete to produce a flag in both Olympics extremity Paralympics in a single year.[8]
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