2006 December gSTAR: Natalie du Toit

22 year-old Capetonian Natalie du Toit seems to have been around for a lot longer than her age would suggest, but the list of accomplishments this girl reels off just continues to grow by the day.

Having started swimming competitively at the age of six, she has most recently had her biography “Tumble Turn” published, which she considers “A biography that hopefully can inspire others.”

Written by Tracey Hawthorne and published by Oshun Publishers, early readers have given Natalie positive feedback, with many readers gaining insight into her mettle for the first time.

“(The response has been) overwhelmingly positive,” Natalie says, mentioning that her motivation for Tumble Turn was in hope of giving people hope and the courage to live their dreams.

“We’ve already had one request for film rights,” she adds. “A lot of people have said they never knew how good I was before my accident. I guess it brings some objectivity to my story. Then of course many have thanked me for the inspiration the book gives them.”

But Natalie does not easily fall for false modesty. To the statement that she was an exceptional athlete prior to the loss of her leg, questioning whether her story has context for the average South African woman, her response is as stark as it is enlightening.

“The book is not aimed at women. It’s for all to enjoy and derive their own inspiration out of it.  I believe my message is universal, and want to keep it that way.”

And those few words paint a picture of simplicity that speaks volumes about her ability to whittle the chaff away from the wheat, and to focus on the necessary.

The sport of swimming requires a special type of diligence, it is a lone discipline that is measured in long breaths and endless miles. That, or you don’t do it at all. And unsurprisingly, this is what keeps Natalie coming back for more.

“I honestly love swimming, and get so much joy out of it. When in the pool, I switch off, and am in my own world. Because I love it so much, the discipline follows easily,” she says.

And what seemed like a pretty crafty question before her answer, Natalie steps by without barely a sideways glance at all the fuss.

“What is it like to defy convention?”, we asked Natalie, pointing out her trend-setting full-body swim suits a few years ago. “Yes, I was the first SA woman to wear the full-body Oskin suit,” relates Natalie. “I started wearing it because I’m sponsored by Speedo. They asked me to try it out; I liked it and started competing in it.

“I never consciously defy convention,” she continues. “I’m always just trying to be myself, and part of that is embracing new technology. I do my own thing.  If some people see it as defying convention, then so be it.”

The late revolutionary OR Tambo was said to be fond of cautioning his comrades with a favoured phrase, “Frank talk!”, when debate surrounding opposition to the then-ruling Apartheid government became heated.

Natalie seems to have inherited the spirit of that even-mindedness in the truest South African manner, and with an earnest intent to see the best that she can in our country.

That doesn’t mean that Natalie sets herself easily-achieved targets, as alluded to in her choice of inspirational characters. Her favourite celebrity? Daley Thompson… Ever heard of him? Oh, yes, the first athlete to simultaneously hold the Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World titles for a single event.

Her favourite sports star? Lance Armstrong (yes, yes, we’ve heard of him too). Favourite female sports star? Marianne Kriel: “She’s also a swimmer, and a genuinely good person.”

And has Natalie had much opportunity to travel the world as a sportswoman? “Yes, and I realise how fortunate I am.” What does she miss most when on the road? “Family and friends, and my boxer dog, Binga.”

Natalie came to swimming quite coincidentally. “Initially I went along with my mother to my brother’s practices, and then I asked her after a while if I could also do it. I discovered that I took to it like a duck to water.

It didn’t take her long to start laying down one big achievement after the next, with all of her early-years accomplishments as an able-bodied swimmer set in truly stunning fashion. At age 11, she was awarded the Victrix Ludorum after breaking 7 records at the Jack Currie champs.

The next year, Natalie was back as Victrix Ludorum at the South Africa Junior Nationals, after becoming the youngest swimmer to break her age-group record for the 400 metre individual medley (100m each of Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Free Style).

Year followed year rewarded with buckets of medals, national and international, all won by this young woman who describes herself as ‘stubborn and determined”.

Then came the personal tragedy that changed Natalie’s life forever, when a careless driver knocked her off her scooter after her morning workout, an accident which was immediately clear in its devastation.

Says Natalie: “The scene was gruesome; the devastation was immediately obvious. “I kept saying, ‘I’ve lost my leg, I’ve lost my leg’.” Then followed the numbness of amputation, and the painful recovery to mobility with prosthesis.

But these days, swimming takes on another form for Natalie. “It’s not a hobby – I look at it as my work/job. Everything for me revolves around swimming, so my lifestyle choices are not too difficult. I only need to ask myself if a particular decision is good or not for my swimming.

And a goal still outstanding for Natalie? “To represent SA at the Olympics (any year will do!).”

Natalie has shaped a career for herself from her achievements in swimming, and is proud to acknowledge the valuable contribution of her personal sponsors Opel, Supersport, Speedo, EAS, Adidas, Nashua Mobile and Hetzner, all netted with the professional input of her manager Francois Brink, MD of One World of Sport.

And her work as a motivational speaker? “Very busy! I’ve been all around the country, from the big cities to places like Prieska, Wartburg and Citrusdal.”

Go well, Natalie, a part of the dream of South Africa lives within you, and each time you succeed, your success speaks for all of us. We are proud to be known as fellow South Africans with you!