Elizabeth Prinsloo
Swimmer Elizabeth Prinsloo said that the ceremony finally brought home the fact that she was at the Paralympics.
"It was such an awesome feeling," said Prinsloo, who won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics. "It was like I had arrived, like the reality of where I was finally set in."
Prinsloo has trained 24 hours a week to improve on her Atlanta 50 metres freestyle bronze. "I'm in the best possible shape I can be in," said the pretty Pretorian who takes to the water in the 400m on Sunday.
"My coach Branny Ivkovic has done the most amazing job - I couldn't ask for better."
Prinsloo, who is disabled in one leg, used to compete against able-bodied swimmers at school until a Paralympian administrator saw her walking at poolside four-and-half years ago. "They approached me and told me that I would probably be able to qualify in Paralympics, so it was the start of a new life for me."
Six months later she was chasing medals in Atlanta.
https://www.news24.com/news24/emotions-run-high-in-sa-camp-20001019