Para Sport Headlines April Newsmakers List

Para athletes are dominating the South African sporting landscape and smashing records along the way, resulting in another bumper monthly gsport Annual List of Newsmakers (#GAL2021).

Over the past month, para sport has been on the rise, receiving increased coverage across all gsport platforms and inspiring mainstream media to widen their lens when reporting on women’s sport.

The recently concluded Toyota SASAPD National Championships in Gqeberha was a success as new names outnumbered the old, highlighting a positive future for the sport.

Record-breakers such as Maria Combrink, Yané van der Merwe and Charné Felix, to name a few, have elevated para sport and are inspiring the next generation to fulfil their sporting dreams.

We also laud ultramarathon athlete, Gerda Steyn, for shattering Colleen de Reuck’s South African Women’s Marathon record with a time of 2:25.28 at the Xiamen Marathon Tuscany Camp Global Elite race in Italy.

Swim sensation, Tatjana Schoenmaker deservedly appears on the list for posting three national and African records, including the second-fastest time globally of 1:05.74 in the 100m breaststroke at the SA Swimming Championships.

Golfers Caitlyn Macnab and Michaela Fletcher lead the way after winning the Jabra Ladies Classic and SuperSport Ladies Open titles, respectively.

Five months of the #GAL2021 campaign have now been concluded as we build up to the third gsport Annual List event in December.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube, and click on the links below to see the interviews featuring the gsport April 2021 full list of Newsmakers below!

The April 2021 gsport Newsmakers List:
Arina Nicolaisen – Set new 1500m (T38) African record at Toyota SASAPD Champs

Awande Malinga – Wins Balwin Properties SA Schools Squash Closed 2021 title

Banele Shabangu  – Wins 100m and 200m SAU20 titles at TWIZZA ASA Age-Category Championships

Caitlyn Macnab – Makes history winning the Jabra Ladies Classic title

Caster Semenya – Wins 5,000m title in PB time of 15:52.28 at Sizwe Medical Fund ASA Senior Track and Field Championships

Charné Felix – Sets New Africa Record in Long Jump Open women T44 with 4,37 effort

Elanza Jordaan – Wins gold in BC3 final of Boccia event at Toyota SASAPD Champs

Gerda Steyn – Shatters Colleen de Reuck’s SA Women’s Marathon record with time of 2:25:28 at Xiamen Marathon Tuscany Camp Global Elite race in Italy

Isabella van Rooyen – Wins Nomads SA Girl’s Rose Bowl Championship to secure first national title

Irvette van Zyl – Sets new personal best, dipping under 2:30:00 for the first time, qualifying for the Olympics

Justine Palframan – Wins 200m event at Sizwe Medical Fund ASA Track and Field Championships

Karla Pretorius – Appointed captain of Sunshine Coast Lightning for the 2021 Suncorp Netball League season

Kat Swanepoel – Qualifies for Paralympic Games in Tokyo

Lizelle Lee – Announced ICC Player of the Month for March

Maria Combrink – Sets new F46 Shot-Put World Record at Toyota SASAPD National Championships

Michaela Fletcher – Breaks into professional winners ranks with victory in the SuperSport Ladies Open

Michelle Burn – Claims the national women’s single ski title at Fenn SA Surfski Championships

Miné de Klerk – Shatters 15-year women’s U20 shot-put record at TWIZZA Athletics South Africa Age-Category Championships

Momentum Proteas – Qualify for Birmingham 2022 as women’s cricket gears up for first ever Commonwealth Games participation

Patience Shikwambana – Announced Chair of 2023 Netball World Cup Board

Reabetswe Moloi – New SA national women’s 100m champion

Saskia Hockly – Wins women’s single ski race at Thule Season Starter

Simone Kruger  Sets new Africa Record in Shot-put Open women F38 with 11,23 effort

Tatjana Schoenmaker – Posts three national and African records, including second-fastest time globally of 1:05.74 in 100m breaststroke at SA Swimming Championships

Yané van der Merwe – Sets African record in the Discus Open women F44 with 29.92 effort