Du Toit was born in Cape Town, South Africa and attended Timour Hall Primary school. She began competing internationally in swimming at the age of 14. In February 2001 her left leg was amputated at the knee after she was hit by a car while riding her scooter back to school after swimming practice. She was 17 at the time.[4] Three months later, before she had started walking again, she was back in the pool with the intention of competing in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Du Toit swims without the aid of a prosthetic limb.
Du Toit first competed internationally at the age of 14, when she took part in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. During the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Du Toit, who was then 18 years old, won both the multi-disability 50 m freestyle and the multi-disability 100 m freestyle in world record time. She also made sporting history by qualifying for the 800 m able-bodied freestyle final – the first time that an athlete with a disability had qualified for the final of an able-bodied event. At the closing of the Manchester Commonwealth Games, she was presented with the first David Dixon Award for Outstanding Athlete of 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 silver in the 800 metres freestyle and bronze in the 400 metres freestyle at the Afro-Asian Games.
She narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympics 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 Sportsperson 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 Du Toit also won six gold medals at the fourth IPC World Swimming Championships, finishing third overall in a race which included 36 males and 20 females.
On 3 May 2008, Du Toit qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fourth in the 10 km open water race at the Open Water World Championships in Seville, Spain. Her time was only 5.1 seconds off the winner in a race that made its first Olympic appearance in Beijing.[5] At the Beijing Olympics women's 10 km race, she finished in 16th place, 1:22.2 minutes behind the winner. She also took part in the 2008 Summer Paralympics, winning five gold medals.[6] 13 June 2008
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.[7]
200 m SM9 individual medley swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2012)
100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2012)
400 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2012)
100 m S9 freestyle swimming silver medal – Paralympics (2012)
100 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Commonwealth Games (2010)
100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal – Commonwealth Games (2010)
50 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Commonwealth Games (2010)
50 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2008)
400 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2008)
200 m SM9 individual medley swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2008)
100 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2008)
100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2008)
100 m freestyle swimming EAD (multi-disability) gold – Commonwealth Games (2006)
50 m freestyle swimming EAD (multi-disability) gold – Commonwealth Games (2006)
100 m S9 backstroke swimming silver medal – Paralympics (2004)
100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2004)
100 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2004)
200 m SM9 individual medley swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2004)
400 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2004)
50 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal – Paralympics (2004)
800 m freestyle swimming gold medal – All-Africa Games (2003)
800 m freestyle swimming silver medal – Afro-Asian Games (2003)
400 m freestyle swimming bronze medal – Afro-Asian Games (2003)
David Dixon Award for outstanding athlete – Commonwealth Games (2002)
100 m freestyle swimming EAD (multi-disability) gold – Commonwealth Games (2002)
50 m freestyle swimming EAD (multi-disability) gold – Commonwealth Games (2002)
Awards and honours
In August 2002 she was awarded the Western Cape Golden Cross. During the award ceremony Western Cape Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk said she had gone "beyond gold and swam her way into the hearts of not only South Africans but the whole world".[9]
^Interview with Natalie du Toit, "African Voices", aired 14 May 2011 on CNN International. Her name is said several times by an announcer (but not by du Toit herself).
^George Eyser, who had a wooden leg, competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics; the circumstances of Eyser's participation in the Games are unknown. Poland's Natalia Partyka also competed at both the Olympics and the Paralympics in Beijing, in table tennis.
References
^"Natalie Du Toit". Who's Who SA. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
^"Two Paralympians Competed in Olympics". The O&P EDGE. October 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^. The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^. 10 March 2010. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^. ESPN. 3 May 2008. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^"Du Toit to make history at Games". BBC. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
^. SABC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^"Amputee to fly SA's Olympic flag". BBC. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
^Ajam, Kashiefa (26 August 2002). "Natalie du Toit gets gold again". Cape Argus. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
^. IOL.co.za. 2 December 2009. Archived from the original on 6 December 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^"Press releases". Laureus. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
natalie, toit, ɔɪ, born, january, 1984, south, african, swimmer, best, known, gold, medals, 2004, paralympic, games, well, commonwealth, games, paralympians, compete, 2008, summer, olympics, beijing, other, being, table, tennis, player, natalia, partyka, toit,. Natalie du Toit OIG MBE d ʊ ˈ t ɔɪ a born 29 January 1984 is a South African swimmer She is best known for the gold medals she won at the 2004 Paralympic Games as well as the Commonwealth Games She was one of two Paralympians to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing the other being table tennis player Natalia Partyka 2 Du Toit became the third amputee ever to qualify for the Olympics where she placed 16th in the 10K Marathon swim 3 b Natalie du ToitOIG MBENatalie du Toit in 2008 after winning a gold medalPersonal informationFull nameNatalie du ToitNickname s Noodle 1 NationalitySouth AfricanBorn 1984 01 29 29 January 1984 age 39 Cape Town South AfricaHeight5 9Weight165 LbsSportSportSwimmingStrokesButterfly backstroke freestyle breaststrokeMedal record Women s para swimmingRepresenting South AfricaEvent 1st 2nd 3rdParalympic Games 13 2 0World Championships 12 1 1All Africa Games 5 0 0Commonwealth Games 7 0 0Total 37 3 1Paralympic Games2004 Athens 50 m freestyle S92004 Athens 100 m freestyle S92004 Athens 400 m freestyle S92004 Athens 100 m butterfly S92004 Athens 200 m individual medley SM92008 Beijing 50 m freestyle S92008 Beijing 100 m freestyle S92008 Beijing 400 m freestyle S92008 Beijing 100 m butterfly S92008 Beijing 200 m individual medley SM92012 London 100 m butterfly S92012 London 400 m freestyle S92012 London 200 m individual medley S92004 Athens 100 m backstroke S92012 London 100m Freestyle S9World Championships2006 Durban 50 m freestyle S92006 Durban 100 m freestyle S92006 Durban 400 m freestyle S92006 Durban 100 m butterfly S92006 Durban 200m medley S92006 Durban 5 km open water2010 Eindhoven 100 m butterfly S92010 Eindhoven 100 m freestyle S92010 Eindhoven 400 m freestyle S92010 Eindhoven 200 m medley SM92010 Eindhoven 100 m backstroke S92010 Eindhoven 5 km open water S1 102010 Eindhoven 50 m freestyle S92010 Eindhoven 100 m breaststroke SB8All Africa Games2003 Abuja 800 m Freestyle2007 Algiers 1500 m Freestyle2011 Maputo 100 m freestyle S6 S102011 Maputo 100 m backstroke S6 S102011 Maputo 200 m individual medley S6 S10Commonwealth Games2002 Manchester 50 m freestyle EAD2002 Manchester 100 m freestyle EAD2006 Melbourne 50 m freestyle EAD2006 Melbourne 100 m freestyle EAD2010 Delhi 50 m freestyle EAD2010 Delhi 100 m freestyle EAD2010 Delhi 100 m butterfly EAD Contents 1 Early life 2 Swimming career 3 2008 Olympic and Paralympic opening ceremonies 4 Major sporting achievements 5 Awards and honours 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksEarly life EditDu Toit was born in Cape Town South Africa and attended Timour Hall Primary school She began competing internationally in swimming at the age of 14 In February 2001 her left leg was amputated at the knee after she was hit by a car while riding her scooter back to school after swimming practice She was 17 at the time 4 Three months later before she had started walking again she was back in the pool with the intention of competing in the 2002 Commonwealth Games Du Toit swims without the aid of a prosthetic limb She completed her scholastic education at the Reddam House Cape Town after which she studied for a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Cape Town specializing in genetics and physiology In her free time she does motivational speaking Swimming career EditDu Toit first competed internationally at the age of 14 when she took part in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur During the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester Du Toit who was then 18 years old won both the multi disability 50 m freestyle and the multi disability 100 m freestyle in world record time She also made sporting history by qualifying for the 800 m able bodied freestyle final the first time that an athlete with a disability had qualified for the final of an able bodied event At the closing of the Manchester Commonwealth Games she was presented with the first David Dixon Award for Outstanding Athlete of 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 silver in the 800 metres freestyle and bronze in the 400 metres freestyle at the Afro Asian Games She narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympics 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 Sportsperson 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 Du Toit also won six gold medals at the fourth IPC World Swimming Championships finishing third overall in a race which included 36 males and 20 females On 3 May 2008 Du Toit qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fourth in the 10 km open water race at the Open Water World Championships in Seville Spain Her time was only 5 1 seconds off the winner in a race that made its first Olympic appearance in Beijing 5 At the Beijing Olympics women s 10 km race she finished in 16th place 1 22 2 minutes behind the winner She also took part in the 2008 Summer Paralympics winning five gold medals 6 13 June 2008On 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 7 2008 Olympic and Paralympic opening ceremonies EditSouth Africa s Olympic Committee chose Du Toit to carry their flag at the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony making her the first athlete to carry a flag in both Olympics and Paralympics in a single year 8 Major sporting achievements Edit200 m SM9 individual medley swimming gold medal Paralympics 2012 100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal Paralympics 2012 400 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Paralympics 2012 100 m S9 freestyle swimming silver medal Paralympics 2012 100 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Commonwealth Games 2010 100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal Commonwealth Games 2010 50 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Commonwealth Games 2010 50 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Paralympics 2008 400 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Paralympics 2008 200 m SM9 individual medley swimming gold medal Paralympics 2008 100 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Paralympics 2008 100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal Paralympics 2008 100 m freestyle swimming EAD multi disability gold Commonwealth Games 2006 50 m freestyle swimming EAD multi disability gold Commonwealth Games 2006 100 m S9 backstroke swimming silver medal Paralympics 2004 100 m S9 butterfly swimming gold medal Paralympics 2004 100 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Paralympics 2004 200 m SM9 individual medley swimming gold medal Paralympics 2004 400 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Paralympics 2004 50 m S9 freestyle swimming gold medal Paralympics 2004 800 m freestyle swimming gold medal All Africa Games 2003 800 m freestyle swimming silver medal Afro Asian Games 2003 400 m freestyle swimming bronze medal Afro Asian Games 2003 David Dixon Award for outstanding athlete Commonwealth Games 2002 100 m freestyle swimming EAD multi disability gold Commonwealth Games 2002 50 m freestyle swimming EAD multi disability gold Commonwealth Games 2002 Awards and honours EditIn August 2002 she was awarded the Western Cape Golden Cross During the award ceremony Western Cape Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk said she had gone beyond gold and swam her way into the hearts of not only South Africans but the whole world 9 Du Toit was voted 48th in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004 by the South African Broadcasting Corporation She won the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award in 2008 In December 2009 she received the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold for her exceptional achievements in swimming 10 On 10 March 2010 she was awarded the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability for breaking down the barriers between disabled and able bodied sport 11 In 2013 she was made an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE for services to Paralympic sport 12 See also EditAthletes with most gold medals in one event at the Paralympic Games List of athletes who have competed in the Paralympics and Olympics 2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers List of flag bearers for South Africa at the Olympics 2008 Summer Paralympics national flag bearers George Eyser Oliver Halassy Natalia PartykaNotes Edit Interview with Natalie du Toit African Voices aired 14 May 2011 on CNN International Her name is said several times by an announcer but not by du Toit herself George Eyser who had a wooden leg competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics the circumstances of Eyser s participation in the Games are unknown Poland s Natalia Partyka also competed at both the Olympics and the Paralympics in Beijing in table tennis References Edit Natalie Du Toit Who s Who SA Retrieved 5 October 2012 Two Paralympians Competed in Olympics The O amp P EDGE October 2008 Retrieved 28 August 2012 Sport The Telegraph Archived from the original on 6 July 2008 Retrieved 28 August 2012 Natalie Du Toit 10 March 2010 Archived from the original on 6 February 2012 Retrieved 28 August 2012 Du Toit who lost leg in scooter accident will swim in Beijing Games ESPN 3 May 2008 Archived from the original on 25 October 2008 Retrieved 28 August 2012 Du Toit to make history at Games BBC 13 June 2008 Retrieved 4 November 2017 SABC SABC Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 28 August 2012 Amputee to fly SA s Olympic flag BBC 8 August 2008 Retrieved 4 November 2017 Ajam Kashiefa 26 August 2002 Natalie du Toit gets gold again Cape Argus Retrieved 4 November 2017 Makeba chosen for Order of Ikhamanga IOL co za 2 December 2009 Archived from the original on 6 December 2009 Retrieved 28 August 2012 Press releases Laureus Retrieved 28 August 2012 Honorary appointmentsExternal links Edit Natalie du Toit n 100 on Time s list of 100 Olympic Athletes To Watch at the Wayback Machine archived 27 July 2008 Natalie Du Toit at the International Paralympic CommitteeNatalie Du Toit at IPC InfostradaSports comAwards and achievementsPreceded by Valerie Grand Maison World Disabled Swimmer of the Year2008 Succeeded by Mallory WeggemannPreceded by Daniel Dias Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability of the Year2010 Succeeded by Verena BenteleOlympic GamesPreceded byAlexander Heath Flagbearer for South AfricaBeijing 2008 Succeeded byOliver Kraas Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Natalie du Toit amp oldid 1140423589, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
