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Molly Ryde

Posted in Champions.

Molly Ryde

Molly Ryde won the ladies ' yards backstroke at the 1934 SA Championships in Pretoria. She finished second in the 220 and 500-yard freestyle. At the Bulawayo nationals in 1936, she won the 150-yard backstroke and the 220 and 500-yard freestyle events. In 1938 she only took the 500-yard freestyle title. Missing the 1938 SA Championships while competing at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, Molly won the 100 and 200-yard freestyle and 150-yard backstroke titles at the 1939 nationals in Bloemfontein. Her name does not appear in SAASU records after that.

Molly swam for the Pretoria Women Swimming Club while she worked as a typist at the municipality. Below is a description from an Australian newspaper on 31st December 1937:

A head of glorious blonde hair instantly distinguishes Miss Ryde, the freestyle champion, from her sun-tanned companions. She is the holder of the South African championship, while the records for 440 yards and 220 yards, she has held now for six years. Miss Ryde, who Is just eighteen years of age, first came into championship swimming hi1 033, with the Pretoria Women's Club,  and almost instantly won recognition, and the right to represent South Africa at the 1934 Empire Games in London.

Miss Ryde in private life is a stenographer employed by the Pretoria city council and finds that training for championships occupies any spare time she may have when away from her work.

Her time for the 440 yards is 5 min. 34 sec., while she has covered 220 yards in the splendid time of 2 min. 34 sec. Both are South African records.

22nd March 1937

1st  March 1939

March 1939

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Mary Morgan

Posted in Champions.

Mary Morgan

Sandy Morgan was an Eastern Province swimmer who moved to Johannesburg, where she swam with the Zoo Lake Club. 

Mary finished 4th in the 220 yard breastroke at the South African Championships in Johannesburg in 1953. 

In 1954 at the St Georges Baths in Port Elizabeth, she won the event in a time of 3:08,5, before winning the silver medal at the 1954 Empire Games in 3:03,3.

At Pretoria in 1955 she was beaten by Santa Pienaar, who later became a well-known coach as Santa van Jaardveld, in 3:07,3. 

Her last nationals was in the fast Durban Beach Baths saltwater pool, where she again won the title, in 3:03.0.

1953

1954

1955

1956

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Mandy Loots

Posted in Champions.

Mandy Loots

Amanda Toni "Mandy" Loots (born 3 August 1978 in Gwelo, Rhodesia) is an Olympic and national-record-holding swimmer from South Africa. 

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester Mandy won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly and another second place in the women's 4x100 medley relay. The relay times were backstroke Charlene Wittstock (1:02.24); breaststroke Sarah Poewe (1:07.95);  butterfly Mandy Loots (59.26)and freestyle Helene Muller (55.51).

She also swam for South Africa at the 1996, 2000 and 2008 Olympics.  She won the British ASA National British Championships over 100 metres butterfly and the 400 metres medley in 1999.

In November 2009, she set the African Record in the short-course (25m) 200 fly.  At the 1999 All-Africa Games, she was South Africa's most decorated athlete at the Games, winning 6 gold medals.

She has swum for South Africa at the:

  • Olympics: 1996, 2000, 2008
  • Commonwealth Games: 1994, 2002, 2006
  • All-Africa Games: 1999, 2007
  • African Swimming Championships: 2008, 2010

Helene Muller, Sarah Poewe, Mandy Loots and Charlene Wittstock of South Africa celebrate winning the silver medal in the Women's 4x100 Medley Final at the Manchester Aquatics Centre during the 2002 Commonwealth Games on August 4, 2002.

Personal bests

Event Course Time Pts. Date City (Nation) Meet
50m Freestyle 50m 27.80 612 6 Jun 2008 Roma (ITA) 46. Trofeo Sette Colli
100m Freestyle 50m 1:00.06 638 6 Jun 2008 Roma (ITA) 46. Trofeo Sette Colli
200m Freestyle 25m 2:06.44 664 26 Aug 2005 Johannesburg CGA: Regional Championships
50m Backstroke 50m 29.58 748 14 Apr 2009 Durban South African Championships
50m Backstroke 25m 29.00 660 12 Nov 2005 Durban FINA: World Cup No 1 - 2005/2006 ...
100m Backstroke 50m 1:03.04 752 14 Apr 2009 Durban South African Championships
100m Backstroke 25m 1:02.36 681 26 Aug 2005 Johannesburg CGA: Regional Championships
200m Backstroke 50m 2:16.68 731 10 Sep 2011 Maputo (MOZ) 10th African Games
200m Backstroke 25m 2:05.01 861 21 Nov 2009 Singapore (SGP) FINA: World Cup No 5 - 2009 Series
50m Breaststroke 50m 35.00 578 12 Sep 2012 Nairobi (KEN) 11th African Championships
50m Butterfly 50m 27.26 719 16 Mar 2006 Melbourne (AUS) XVIII Commonwealth Games
50m Butterfly 25m 26.89 745 19 Nov 2004 Durban FINA: World Cup No 1 - 2004/2005 ...
100m Butterfly 50m 58.61 848 9 Aug 2008 Beijing (CHN) XXIX Olympic Games
100m Butterfly 25m 56.95 854 13 Apr 2008 Manchester (GBR) FINA: 9th World Short Course ...
200m Butterfly 50m 2:09.98 823 18 Jun 2008 Paris (FRA) 2. Open EDF de Natation
200m Butterfly 25m 2:04.24 892 22 Nov 2009 Singapore (SGP) FINA: World Cup No 5 - 2009 Series
100m Medley 25m 1:00.86 800 17 Oct 2009 Durban FINA: World Cup No 1 - 2009 Series
200m Medley 50m 2:15.71 802 9 Sep 2011 Maputo (MOZ) 10th African Games
200m Medley 25m 2:10.32 817 14 Nov 2009 Berlin (GER) FINA: World Cup No 4 - 2009 Series
400m Medley 50m 4:48.97 778 10 Jul 1999 Sheffield (GBR) British National Championships
400m Medley 25m 4:39.61 794 19 Nov 2004 Durban FINA: World Cup No 1 - 2004/2005 ...
50m Freestyle Lap 25m 25.98 - 8 Sep 2005 Pietermaritzburg South African Short Course ...
100m Freestyle Lap 50m 58.31 - 9 Aug 2008 Beijing (CHN) XXIX Olympic Games
100m Freestyle Lap 25m 57.31 - 8 Sep 2005 Pietermaritzburg South African Short Course ...
200m Freestyle Lap 25m 2:06.73 - 8 Sep 2005 Pietermaritzburg South African Short Course ...
50m Butterfly Lap 25m 27.93 - 26 Aug 2005 Johannesburg CGA: Regional Championships
100m Butterfly Lap 50m 58.76 - 15 Aug 2008 Beijing (CHN) XXIX Olympic Games
100m Butterfly Lap 25m 58.62 - 11 Apr 2008 Manchester (GBR) FINA: 9th World Short Course ...

2015 - Olympian Mandy Loots emerged smiling from the Midmar Dam as part of the Pink Drive that has passed the R1,000,000 fundraising target at the 2015 aQuellé Midmar Mile in Pietermaritzburg.

SA swimming stalwart Loots calls time on a lengthy career

December 28, 2012

When SASCOC President Gideon Sam wanted to gee up Team South Africa for the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo he knew exactly who to turn to: One of the stalwarts of SA swimming down the years.

That woman was Mandy Loots, and Sam told the assembled team at the dusty Games Village to look to Loots for any inspiration. Mandy, you and I have been through a lot down the years in swimming so I’m looking at you to set the tone, she smiled.

Just over a year down the line and three-time Olympian Loots has now come to the end of the line as far as competitive swimming is concerned and December’s World Short-Course Championships in Istanbul, Turkey were her last international event and she’s now officially retired from a lengthy career. In local waters she was as competitive as ever, taking three gold medals at the 2012 SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg.

Road to Rio 2016 Managing Editor Mark Etheridge asked the 34-year-old to put her feet up and look back over those powerful butterfly-honed shoulders at a career that brought her such pride and joy.

Tell us about the early years? “I was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe then moved to South Africa in 1983. We settled in Edenvale and I’m still in the same house to this day.”

Give us a quick breakdown on those early years, when you first started swimming competitively and what was the first major race you won? “I started swimming training with Dean [Price] and his mom Janet from the age of eight. I finished a close second to a girl who trained at my school gala. Her mom introduced me to Dean. Once I started training Dean got me involved in galas. The first major race I won was winning the 400m IM from lane eight at Transvaal champs (now CGA champs).”

How many SA swim championships have you been to now, if you can remember them all (there are so many) and which one(s) stand out? And what about the international events? “I’ve competed at 21 national champs the most of any SA swimmer. Ryk Neethling was on 17. I think the one that stands out the most to me was the 1996 Olympic trials. I had to win the 100m butterfly to make the team for the 4x100m IM relay. It was a very close race with Renate du Plessis. Winning that put me on the relay team with Marianne Kriel (backstroke), Penny Heyns (breaststroke) and Helene Muller (freestyle). I’ve also been to three Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games, three World Champs and four All Africa Games.”

Of the Olympic Games, which were your favourite (and for what reason) and your least favourite Olympic Games if there was such a thing? “It’s very difficult to say which Olympic Games was better. Each one is special in it’s own way of bringing the spirit of the host country alive and showcasing the true story of the host country. Atlanta will always be special though because it was my first one. Walking into the stadium for the opening ceremony will be a memory I’ll always carry in my heart. Then watching my teammates Penny and Marianne winning medals and then coming an agonizing fourth place in the relay.”

When did you decide to call it quits on your career and was there any particular reason? “Unfortunately my body is struggling to keep up with my competitive mind so it was becoming very frustrating to not achieve the times my mind believed I could. I’m a very dedicated person so while I was competing I had no room for anything else. I was finally ready to put my swimming on the backseat and open doors to new things. To be honest, selectors were making age a huge issue and I was getting tired of fighting for any selections.” Who (parents, coaches, team-mates) has had the most influence on your career and in what way? My parents have always been a huge support system in my swimming career. From driving me to training before I could drive, to attending most of my swimming galas. Whatever was needed to help me achieve my goals… they would do it for me. They have made great sacrifices to help me in whatever was needed, to get me to training, or local and national competitions and to compete in international competitions. Without them I would never have been able to live my dream!”

Over the years who has been your favourite swimmer (SA and international) and for what reason? “Internationally my favourite swimmer is Therese Alshammar from Sweden because not only is she a butterfly swimmer like me but she is a year older than me and I have just enjoyed following her career. Nationally it’s much harder to pick because they’re all my friends. It is always great to be on a team, supporting your teammates when they win medals and singing the national anthem while they are on the podium.” Now that you won’t be part of it any more, how would you put the state of SA swimming now? Is it healthy, are there future stars coming through and in your experience, who are the names to look out for that we may not have heard of yet? “Unfortunately the state of swimming in SA is not in good form. Swimming SA needs to get a big sponsor to help get young swimmers out to compete in international competitions so that they get the experience and belief that they can compete with the rest of the world. I think we have the young talent out there, it just needs to be nurtured into the champions.”

Apart from swimming what do you do for a living and what are you going to be getting up to now that you aren’t training as much? “I teach little ones swimming. I love passing on my knowledge of the sport I love to the little kids. It’s my goal to start up my own swimming school.”

And the funniest moment you ever experienced (yourself or someone else) in your swimming career? “I can’t think of one particular funny moment but it’s just great to remember the laughs I’ve shared with my friends, teammates and roommates through the years. It was always fun trying to come up with a prank to play on some of the guys. Myself, Melissa Corfe, Kathryn Meaklim and Chanelle van Wyk were called the Fab4 because we always hung out together on trips and I remember that once we put a huge pot plant in Cameron’s Van der Burgh's room while he was out.”

So, while the women known in local swimming circles as Madame Butterfly may well have hung up her wings, with her desire to put back into the sport the pools of experience she has gained over the years, means that Swimming South Africa could do worse than draw on her experience to gee up the next generation of stars.

Olympic swimmer settles in uMhlanga

Picture8

SA Olympic swimmer Mandy Loots has taken up a coaching post at the Crawford College La Lucia in January and has been working closely with the Seals Swimming Club.

Mandy Loots is pictured alongside Emily Visagie (16), Tayla Lovemore (18) (middle) and Courtney Perrett (17) (left) , who made the finals at the recent South African Swimming Championships in Durban. Visagie won gold medals in the girls 16 years SA Champs in Cape Town in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and was second in the 200m breaststroke.

May 2, 2014

OLYMPIC swimmer Mandy Loots has added a new dimension to the coaching scenes in the Durban area this year. The versatile swimmer has decided to settle in the uMhlanga area just a year after retiring from the sport at 34 years of age in December 2012. Mandy has had a long serving career for South Africa, having represented the country at the 1996, 2000 and 2008 Olympic Games, a record in itself alongside the three Olympics achieved by Penny Heyns in 1992, 1996 and 2000.

Having trained and competed in the Johannesburg area, Mandy took up a coaching post at the Crawford College La Lucia in January and has been working closely with the Seals Swimming Club under coaching director and aQuelle Midmar Mile race director, Wayne Riddin.

“After Mandy retired, I invited her to enter her first Midmar Mile last year. She took it further than that and completed the 8 Miles for charity for Pink Drive. Her arrival in the Durban North area is a huge boost for our club as well as Durban and KwaZulu-Natal,” said Riddin.

“I have involved Mandy with our competitive swimmers despite her wanting to concentrate on learn-to-swim. Her knowledge and experience at the competitive levels is too valuable not to mention her enthusiasm. The reaction from the swimmers has been amazing and our results at the Level 3 championships in Cape Town and Senior Nationals in Durban recently were at a high with the support of Mandy.”

Mandy was the most decorated South African athlete at the 1999 All Africa Games in Johannesburg with six gold medals. She has also competed at the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and 2006, the African Swimming Championships in 2008 and 2010 as well as the World Short Course Championships and World Cups.

Mandy Loots swim school

Mandy Loots Swim School 

2022 - Olympic swimmer Mandy Loots, is a solid option for all levels of swimming in Durban, from learn to swim, offering multiple daily swim squad sessions, based at the incredible swimming pool at Durban Girls College.

Mandy is the Durban Girls College swim coach and offers swimming to all ages. With many adult regular squad swimmers, masters swimmers, stroke correction classes and beginner swimming lessons.

Contact Mandy Loots Swim school for swimming in Durban and chat to Mandy about your swimming requirements today.

Mandy Loots swim school swimmers

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Maggie Petzer

Posted in Champions.

Machdult Petzer

Machdult  - or Maggie - came from the country town of Newcastle in Natal, where she was 'discovered' by national coach Alex Bulley.

Natal ASA team to South African championships in Port Elizabeth, including Maggie Petzer front right.  

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Lize-Mari Retief

Posted in Champions.

Lize-Mari Retief

Lize-Mari was born in November 1986 in Bloemfontein, but she attended St Mary's School in Johannesburg, where she swam with coach Dean Price. During her career, she held eight South African records. In 2018 her 50m butterfly record for girls under 13, set in November 2000, was still the Transvaal/CGA age-group record. 

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, she won a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly, tying with Alice Mills of Australia at 26,76.

At the South African Championships held at Ellis Park in March 2001 14-year-old Lize Mari finished second behind Mandy Loots in the women's 200m butterfly. The next year, at the 2002 Short course Championships she won 5 titles!

In the 2003 All-Africa Games, she won the most individual medals of any female swimmer: 5 golds and 1 silver.

At the 2007 South African Short-course Championships in Pietermaritzburg Lize-Mari Retief lowered her African record of the meet. Retief lowered Amanda Loots' previous 100 fly record of 58.42 twice throughout the day. Retief clocked a 58.41 during semifinal swimming, before coming back with a time of 57.53 to claim the national title in front of Loots' second-place 58.16.

In the 2008 South African Nationals, she set 3 South African Records: 50 free, 50 fly and 100 fly. Later that year Lize Mari competed in 4 events at the Beijing Olympic Games. Her best performance was setting an African record in the 100 butterfly semi-final, but she did not make it into the final.

In 2006 she began to study medicine at the University of Pretoria and in 2014 married fellow Tukkies student professional rugby player Colin van Staden. She swam at the annual inter-varsity championships in 2006 and 2007, setting several records which still stand in 2023.

2006 Commonwealth Games - Danni Miatke, second from right, shows off her gold medal for the 50m butterfly. Australia's Jessicah Schipper, left, won silver and Australia's Alice Mills, right, and South Africa's Liza Mari Retief, second from left, dead heated for bronze.

Event Course Time Pts. Date City (Nation) Meet
50m Freestyle 50m 25.24 818 2 Apr 2008 Durban South African Championships
50m Freestyle 25m 25.08 764 19 Oct 2007 Durban FINA: World Cup No 1 - 2007 Series
100m Freestyle 50m 55.17 823 13 Aug 2008 Beijing (CHN) XXIX Olympic Games
100m Freestyle 25m 54.50 783 24 Nov 2007 Belo Horizonte (BRA) FINA: World Cup No 7 - 2007 Series
400m Freestyle 50m 4:40.47 591 25 Feb 2005 Hillcrest Pretoria South African Age Group ...
50m Backstroke 50m 30.61 675 6 Apr 2005 East London South African Championships
50m Backstroke 25m 28.39 703 23 Nov 2007 Belo Horizonte (BRA) FINA: World Cup No 7 - 2007 Series
100m Backstroke 50m 1:05.10 682 12 Aug 2007 Bangkok (THA) XXIV Universiade
100m Backstroke 25m 1:02.54 676 22 Jan 2006 Berlin (GER) FINA: World Cup No 5 - 2005/2006 ...
200m Backstroke 50m 2:25.54 605 18 Mar 2005 Pietermaritzburg South African Age Group ...
50m Butterfly 50m 26.48 785 5 Apr 2008 Durban South African Championships
50m Butterfly 25m 25.90 834 24 Nov 2007 Belo Horizonte (BRA) FINA: World Cup No 7 - 2007 Series
100m Butterfly 50m 58.20 866 9 Aug 2008 Beijing (CHN) XXIX Olympic Games
100m Butterfly 25m 56.98 853 23 Nov 2007 Belo Horizonte (BRA) FINA: World Cup No 7 - 2007 Series
200m Butterfly 50m 2:15.40 728 4 Apr 2005 East London South African Championships
200m Butterfly 25m 2:14.22 707 26 Jan 2003 Berlin (GER) FINA: World Cup No 7 - 2002/2003 ...
100m Freestyle Lap 50m 54.92 - 15 Aug 2008 Beijing (CHN) XXIX Olympic Games
100m Freestyle Lap 25m 54.72 - 11 Apr 2008 Manchester (GBR) FINA: 9th World Short Course ...
100m Butterfly Lap 50m 1:00.82 - 13 Aug 2007 Bangkok (THA) XXIV Universiade

1930261 30179510010 6586 n

Lize-Marie a hit at short-course championship

24 SEPTEMBER 2002

Lize-Mari Retief is 15 years old and weighs a mere 49kg. The medals she won during the South African short course swimming championship on Tuesday probably weighed nearly as much. But, after clinching her third, fourth and fifth individual titles of the four-day gala on Tuesday, the Johannesburg youngster was oblivious to the ripples she had caused in swimming circles.

The diminutive St Mary's (Waverley) schoolgirl had other things on her mind. "I'm a little worried because I am exhausted and I haven't even done my homework for tomorrow yet," grinned Retief, who also won two silver medals in the seven individual events she entered. "Maybe if I take all my medals to school tomorrow, I'll be excused for not finishing my project," she joked. "I need an early night tonight and I'll be taking it easy for the rest of the week." Remarkably, the youngster didn't taper for these championships as she is still in training mode for the bigger meets coming up.

She hopes that her coach, Dean Price, can get her into a World Cup meet overseas in January and then she'll be competing in the longcourse nationals in Durban next April, when she will come up against her role model and training partner, Olympic and Commonwealth Games star Mandy Loots. "Mandy is someone I look up to," says Retief. "She is such a versatile swimmer and has a great personality, and I really enjoy training with her." Her long-term goal is to qualify, in her favourite butterfly discipline, for the 2004 Athens Olympics. For the record, Retief on Tuesday won the 200m individual medley, in 2min 22,27sec, the 100m butterfly (62,73) and the 200m backstroke (2:21,28) to add to her 100m IM and 200m fly titles over the weekend. She finished second to Loots in the 50m fly and 50m backstroke events.

Lize-Mari Sets New African Record Lize-Mari Retief is feeling on top of the world after her African record-breaking feat in the 100 metres butterfly took her to the top of the FINA short course world rankings, on the final day of the Telkom SA Short Course Championships just completed in Pietermaritzburg. All the water in the GC Jollife swimming pool could not quench Retief’s fiery onslaught, as the Pretoria University student clocked a winning time of 57,53 seconds – superior to her continental best of 58,41 posted the previous evening.

Such was the momentum of the showpiece final that the experienced Amanda Loots – who held the African record at 58,42 prior the start of the championships – took the silver medal on offer in a speedy 58,16. "I knew I would have to go out hard over the first 50 metres as Loots is a tough competitor, and not one to give up easily," said an excited Retief afterwards.

"My coach told me that the effort would hurt and it did, but it was all worth it as I missed swimming fast times during my few months absence from competitive swimming due to illness," said Retief. Word is that Swimming SA’s statisticians are considering making an ink stamp with her name on, it after having had to fill her name in on two occasions as she posted African best times in the 50 metres butterfly. That record, also formerly held by Loots, now stands at 26,03.

SA swimmer sets All Africa Games record 7 OCTOBER 2003 Abuja - South Africa's Lize-Mari Retief broke the All African Games record - twice - in the women's 50m butterfly on Monday as her nation's swim team dominated the pool for a second day on Monday, winning five golds to go with the four it won a day earlier. Retief lowered the record in the sprint to 27,94 seconds in the preliminary heat, then broke that in the final with a mark of 27,56 seconds.

South Africa, Egypt dominate African swimming championship 07 May 2004 Rabat, Morocco, 05/07 - At the 7th African swimming championship held in Casablanca, South African swimmer Lize-Mari Retief won the gold medals in the 100m butterfly and 50m backstroke in 1`02"71 and 31"02 respectively.

2007 South African Short Course: Lize-Mari Retief Sets African Standard in 50 Butterfly PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa, September 29 LIZE-Mari Retief lit the pool on fire at the South African Short Course Championships during the opening morning of preliminary and semifinal action. Retief eclipsed the previous African record (26.65) of Chanelle van Wyk set last year on Sept. 28. Retief blasted off the blocks during prelims with a top-time of 26.56, before coming back during semis to clock a 26.61.

Retief's African record of 26.56 moved her to 15th in the world this year behind France's Diane Bui Duyet (26.49) and ahead of The Netherlands' Chantal Groot (26.62). "In short course, there is not a lot of swimming so one as to focus on getting a good start and making a good turn," Retief said to Swimming South Africa. "I never went out there with the aim of setting an African record, but knew that I would have to put in a solid performance because there is so much up-and-coming young talent, that one never knows where the challenge is going to come from."

 

 

Lize Mari head

Van Olimpiese ster tot mediese dokter

“Jou hart en siel moet in die sport wees om dit te maak.”

May 30, 2016

Die Suid-Afrikaanse Olimpiese swemmer, Lize-Mari Retief het agt jaar laas kompeterend deelgeneem en haar swempet intussen gebêre. Sy hoop om teen 2018 ‘n gekwalifiseerde dokter te wees.

“Ek is nie spyt dat ek opgehou het nie, ek het begin lewe. Vir 21 jaar was dit al wat ek gedoen het, maar ek sal dit weer doen. Ek het geweet ek kan nie ‘n lewe uit swem maak nie en wou graag trou en kinders hê. Ek lewe nou ‘n ander droom – om ‘n ma te wees.”

Klein Eira Luvé is verlede jaar in Mei gebore. Lize-Mari het haar sielsgenoot, Colin van Staden wat nou op ‘n proeftydperk by die Steval Pumas is, in 2006 op universiteit ontmoet. Die trouklokke het in 2014 vir die twee gelui.

“Ek het altyd gesê ek sal nooit ‘n rugbyspeler date nie, maar ek het hom beter leer ken en al hoe meer van hom begin hou. Colin is vir drie jaar Frankryk toe en in my vyfde jaar het ons verloof geraak.” Hulle het in 2014 na die Laeveld verhuis nadat Colin ‘n pos in Sabie by York Timbers aanvaar het.

Sy is tans besig met haar internskap by Themba Hospitaal, waar sy haarself oor twee jaar in ‘n praktyk sien. Die 29-jarige is ‘n gebore Bloemfonteiner en swem al sedert sy agt jaar oud is.

Daar is nie ‘n sportsoort wat sy nie beoefen het nie – van perdy tot karate. “Sodra ek moeggeraak het vir iets, het ek opgehou,by ‘n skoolgala in gr. 2, het een van die swemafrigters vir my ouers gesê dat ek regtig talent het. Ek wou ook ophou swem, maar my pa het net sy voet neergesit.”

Die Retiefs het daarna na Johannesburg verhuis waar Lize-Mari van gr. 5 af vir St Mary’s geswem het. Twee jaar later is sy vir die eerste keer vir ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse span gekies wat in Brasilië gaan deelneem het. Na skool is sy na die Hoëprestasiesentrum (HPC) by die Universiteit van Pretoria, waar sy sportwetenskap studeer het.

Sy het haar land in 2003 by die Afrika-spele verteenwoordig, in 2006 by die Statebondspele en in 2007 by die Wêreld-kortbadkampioenskappe. By die Statebondspele het sy ‘n bronsmedalje in die 50m-vlinderslag om haar nek gehang. Sy het in die semi’s tydens die Olimpiese Spele uitgeval. “Jou hart en siel moet in die sport wees om dit te maak.”

https://lowvelder.co.za/336038/van-olimpiese-ster-tot-mediese-dokter/  

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