Natalie du Toit
Natalie was born in Cape Town on 29 January 1984. She attended Timour Hall Primary School and Wynberg GHS. Later she completed her school education at the Reddam House in Cape Town. She continued her education by pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Cape Town. Her major was in Genetics and Physiology. Her coach was Karoly von Törös of the Vineyard Swimming Club.
At the age of 14, in 1998 Natalie set a new SA record in the 400 IM at the South African Championships in Durban, achieving a qualifying time for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. She finished second in the 200m butterfly, also in a qualifying time for the Games. She was selected to compete in the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, where she swam in the 200m butterfly and 400 m IM events. The Western Province women's 4x100 medley relay team of du Toit, Renate du Plessis, Sara Poewe, and Ingrid Theunissen won the gold medal at nationals. She was seen as a bright star in the future of Western Province swimming.
At the 7th All-Africa Games held 12–18 September 1999 at the Ellis Park Aquatic Complex in Johannesburg, Natalie finished second to Mandy Loots in both the 200 fly and 400 IM.
In 2000 she missed qualifying for the Sydney Olympic Games but did compete in the 400m IM at the FINA World SC Championships held in Athens. Her time of 4:47 was considerably faster than the time of 5:03 she set at Kaula Lumpur.
But her life changed track dramatically in February 2001, when she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident.
She was riding her scooter back to school after swimming practice when a reckless driver driving out of a parking place crashed right into her left leg. Her leg had to be amputated, below the knee.
After spending two weeks in hospital, the strong-minded Natalie climbed back into the pool, determined to inspire others with her fortitude and winning approach.
Despite the enormity of her setback, she was resolute in her decision to participate in the Manchester Games – both as an able-bodied and disabled competitor, just to prove it could be done.
And one year after the accident – aged 18 – Natalie won both the multi-disability 50m freestyle and the multi-disability 100m freestyle in world record time, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. She then qualified for the 800m freestyle final - for able-bodied swimers. Although she finished last in the race, she made history by becoming the first disabled swimmer to compete in an able-bodied race at an international event. Disabled swimming had been introduced into the Commonwealth Games for the first time in the 2002 Games in Manchester.
That day, Du Toit wasn’t close to winning. But that hardly mattered. She was named outstanding athlete of the Games, beating Aussie Ia Thorpe, who had won six golds, and one silver, and set a new world record. Out of necessity, she switched to distance freestyle after the accident. But although her body and events have changed, her goals haven’t. “I have always had a dream to take part in an Olympic Games, and losing my leg didn’t change anything,” she says.
In 2003, competing against able-bodied swimmers, du Toit won gold in the 800 meters freestyle at the All-Africa Games as well as silver in the 800-meter freestyle and bronze in the 400-meter freestyle at the Afro-Asian Games.
She narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympic Games 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 Sports Awards 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 won six gold medals at the fourth IPC World Swimming Championships.
History was made again in 2008 when Natalie du Toit became the first-ever amputee to qualify for the Olympic Games. On 3 May 2008, she qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fourth in the 10 km marathon swim at the 2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Sevilla, Spain. Her time was only 5.1 seconds off the winner in a race that made its first Olympic appearance in Beijing. She finished 16th in the Olympic 10km Open Water event. At the time she was one of only two athletes to have competed in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. She also took part in the 2008 Summer Paralympics, winning 5 gold medals.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games she won three gold medals. On 27 August 2012, just three days before the start of the 2012 Summer Paralympics, she announced her intention to retire at the end of the event.
Natalie du Toit wins Laureus Award
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
March 10 - South African swimmer Natalie du Toit (pictured) picked up the prestigious Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award for the first time in her career at a star-studded ceremony in Abu Dhabi tonight which was hosted by American actor Kevin Spacey.
Du Toit, who had her left leg amputated at the knee in 2001 after she was hit by a car, is a 10-time Paralympic gold medallist and one of only five athletes to have competed in the both Olympics and Paralympics.
The swimmer becomes only the second South African to have claimed the Laureus Disability Award after wheelchair racing great Ernst van Dyk picked up the prize in 2006.
Since the awards were established in 2000, some of the biggest names in disability sport have been awarded the Laureus Disability Award including legendary Canadian wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc and Dutch wheelchair tennis queen Esther Vergeer who remains the only athlete to have claimed the award twice, in 2002 and 2008.
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) President Gideon Sam led the congratulations for du Toit as he said: "All South Africans can be proud of her spirit and her never-say-die attitude.
"She is a true inspiration to each and every athlete in this country, and the world, and we are hoping that she can build on this prestigious award as we look ahead to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.
"It is people like Natalie that provide the incentive for youngsters to aspire to greatness.
"She fully deserves this acknowledgement."
