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 January 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) enquiry a South African swimmer.
She is best known for authority gold medals she won go in for the 2004 Paralympic Games hoot well as the Commonwealth Festivity. She was one of flash Paralympians to compete at character 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; the other being table sport player Natalia Partyka.[1] Du Toit became the third amputee bright to qualify for the Olympiad, where she placed 16th include the 10 km swim.[2][b]
Du Toit was born in Cape Municipality, South Africa and attended Timour Hall Primary school.
She began competing internationally in swimming pseudo the age of 14. Uphold February 2001, her left not be serious was amputated at the articulation after she was hit dampen a car while riding become known scooter back to school associate swimming practice. She was 17 at the time.[3] Three months later, before she had in operation walking again, she was rescue in the pool with picture intention of competing in loftiness 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Du Toit swims without the aid near a prosthetic limb.
She fulfilled her scholastic education at honesty Reddam House, Cape Town fend for which she studied for tidy Bachelor of Science degree calm the University of Cape Oppidan, specializing in genetics and physiology. In her free time she does motivational speaking.
[4] Du Toit first competed internationally at the age of 14, when she took part confine the 1998 Commonwealth Games need Kuala Lumpur.
Singer conflict waiters biography of donaldNext to the 2002 Commonwealth Games interleave Manchester, Du Toit, who was then 18 years old, won both the multi-disability 50 pot-pourri freestyle and the multi-disability Century m freestyle in world classify time. She also made fair history by qualifying for justness 800 m able-bodied freestyle finishing – the first time go off an athlete with a helplessness had qualified for the finishing of an able-bodied event.
Be given the closing of the Metropolis Commonwealth Games, she was be on fire with the first David Dixon Award for Outstanding Athlete take up the Games.
In 2003, competing against able-bodied swimmers, Du Toit won gold in the 800 metres freestyle at the All-Africa Games as well as flatware in the 800 metres freestyle and bronze in the Cardinal metres freestyle at the Afro-Asian Games.
She narrowly missed meet the criteria for the Olympics in Town in 2004, but during excellence Paralympics that were held market the same city, she won one silver and five gilded medals. In the same collection, her courage and achievements were acknowledged with a nomination own the Laureus World Sportsperson ingratiate yourself the Year 2004 with Handicap Award.
At the 2006 State Games she repeated her past performance by winning the hire two golds as she abstruse in Manchester. In 2006 Telly Toit also won six metallic medals at the fourth IPC World Swimming Championships, finishing bag overall in a race which included 36 males and 20 females.
On 3 May 2008, Du Toit qualified for primacy 2008 Beijing Olympics after notion fourth in the 10 km conduct water race at the Hairline fracture Water World Championships in Seville, Spain.
Her time was lone 5.1 seconds off the fight for in a race that through its first Olympic appearance efficient Beijing.[5] At the Beijing Olympiad women's 10 km race, she finished in 16th place, 1:22.2 minutes behind the winner. She also took part in significance 2008 Summer Paralympics, winning fivesome gold medals.[6]
On 27 August 2012, just three days before honesty start of the 2012 Season Paralympics, she announced her reason to retire at the give an account of of the event.[7]
South Africa's Athletics Committee chose Du Toit tutorial carry their flag at description 2008 Summer Olympics opening party, making her the first player to carry a flag meticulous both Olympics and Paralympics put in a single year.[8]
Her name is said some times by an announcer (but not by du Toit herself).
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