Despite a cold wind and overcast conditions, over 60 hard core swimmers took to the canals of Marina Martinique in Jeffreys Bay on Sunday to participate in the inaugural Kouga Express Eastern Province Open Water Swim Series (OWSS).

Michael Marais, winner of the 5 km open water swim at Marina Martinique Jeffreys Bay

Competitors had a choice between a 5 km, 3 km or a 1 km swim and three swimmers chose to compete in the grueling 5 km swim.  Michael Marais eventually took top honours in the 5 km, swimming a South African national qualifying time of 1:03:16

Marais said after the race that is was a tough swim and his back was hurting but he wanted to swim a qualifying time early in the season and had to power until the finish buoy to achieve his goal.

Jessica Roux took the 5 km women’s race in 1:07:10 which is also a SA national qualifying time.  Rebecca Newman had a good swim in her first ever 5 km swim and recorded a credible 1:11:26 and with some more experience, should swim a qualifying time this season.

The 3 km swim was well supported with swimmers battling it out through the Marina Martinique canals.  Local residents cheered from their houses as the competitors did a circular route in the canals. Jonathan Roux (15 yrs) won the swim in 42 minutes from Mickey Falco.  Tammy Geyer (17yrs) was the first woman home in 44:43. 

Richard Jute won the Masters race with local swim coach Brenton Williams coming second.  Both Jute and Williams swam South African national open water qualifying times.  Marina Barnard, also from Jeffreys Bay was the first woman master swimmer to finish.

 The 1 km swim saw 16 local swimmers take to the water and the youngsters dominated the boys U/13 division with Seth de Swart (10yrs) winning from Kendal Wright (12yrs) and Pieter Ellis (8yrs) coming third.  Competing against the older boys, Ellis showed his has the potential to become a good open water swimmer in time to come.

The youngest girl swimmer to take part in the 1 km event was 8 yr old Alexa Vaughn from Port Elizabeth, who managed to complete the course.  “I didn’t think it would be so far when I entered but I just did some breastroke and freestyle and then sprinted the last 200m to the end of the race”, said Vaughn.  “I will be back in Jeffreys Bay next month to finish my next 1 km”, she added.

Brenton Williams, coach of the Kouga Swim Club was very happy with the turn out for the first swim of the series that will see six swims take place in the Marina during the next six months.  “Open water swimming is one of the fastest growing extreme sports in the world and interest is growing after the inclusion of the 10 km marathon swim in the Olympic Games”.

(Above: South Africa’s Natalie du Toit in action in the women’s 10 km marathon swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games)

 “Open water swimmers must be ready to compete in all weather and water conditions which adds to the challenge of swimming long distances.  The EP OWSS is designed to nurture swimmers along until they are ready to compete in the 10 km event, which is only open to swimmers of 16 years and older”, said Williams.

Mike Zoetmulder from Zports who organized the event said, “This event is an exciting initiative to grow open water swimming in the Eastern Cape and EP Aquatics together with the Kouga Swim Club have put together a great 6-part Series which will take place in the pristine canals of Jeffreys Bay’s Marina Martinique this summer. With one event a month planned for the Marina, we hope to see hundreds of social swimmers coming down and taking part in this fantastic Series”.

Swimmers who want to prepare for the next EP OWSS event which will take part on 22 November at Marina Martinique can swim a 1km or a 2 km in the Ocean Racing Series which will take place on Sunday in Port Elizabeth.  Entries can be done online at www.oceanracingseries.com

The Kouga Swim Club holds training sessions in the Marina Martinique canals on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 7 am for adult swimmers and Friday afternoons at 15.15 for all age groups.  Non members are welcome to attend and details can be obtained by emailing kougaswim@vodamail.co.za

More inormation about open water swimming can be found at:

www.10kswim.com

http://www.thewaterisopen.com/news/full/eastern_province_open_water_swims_series_in_south_africa

Below is a list of the selected girl swimmers for the Durban leg of the World Cup Series 2009!!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU GIRLS!!!!
Go for gold

GIRLS:
Claire Archibald,
Jessica Ashley-Cooper,
Jessica Bartram,
Kathryn Bauman,
Tanya Bouffe,
Jessica Bragason,
Nicole Brits,
Terianne Brown,
Liezl Burger,
BO Cameron,
Bianca Cant,
Oneida Cooper,
Lisa Cowling,
Tamlin Crafford,
Peggy de Villiers,
Natasha de Vos,
Dominque Dryding,
Jeanie du Toit,
Natalie du Toit,
Janke Engelbrecht,
Sarah Ferguson,
Kayla Ferreira,
Emma Forbes-Milne,
Kera Hauptfleisch,
Bianca Hauzer,
Ryleigh Jacobs,
Suzanne Janse van Rensburg,
Caitlyn Kat,
Chiquita Labuschagne,
Christy Lategan,
Jessica Liss,
Alison-Jayne Logan,
Mandy Loots,
Danielle Lushington,
Taryn Mackenzie,
Laura McCulloch,
Lindsay McLeod,
Dani Meerholtz,
Bianca Meyer,
Roxanne Meyer,
Courtnay Mower,
Kristy Muller,
Kerryn Mullin,
Nina Nicholas,
Keri Plumstead,
Tyne Potgieter,
Karin Prinsloo,
Tracy Randelhoff,
Tasmynne Roe,
Ronwyn Roper,
Megan Stephens,
Roxanne Tammadge,
Yolandi van der Merwe,
Leanie van der Merwe,
Karlien van Heerden,
Chanelle van Wyk,
Zoe Venter,
Rene Warnes,
Michelle Wessels,
Kirsty Wienand,
Camilla Wolfson,
Megan Hattingh,
Amy Lombard,
Lauren Mattheus,
Katheryn Meaklim,
Jean Marie Neethling

Die eerste gestremde persoon wat meegeding het teen swemmers wat nie gestrem is nie.

Die Suid-Afrikaanse swemmer, Natalie du Toit, het in Augustus 2002 twee goue medaljes in onderskeidelik die 50 meter en 100 meter vryslagvir gestremdes op die Statebond Spele in Manchester verower. Maar dit is in haar derde eindronde dat sy geskiedenis gemaak het toe sy in die 800 meter vryslag teen nie-gestremde atlete meegeding het.

Die atleet, wat haar linkeronderbeen in ‘n bromponie-ongeluk verloor het, het in die onderhoud gesê:”Ek het nuwe waardering vir die lewe gekry. Ek glo dat jy op die aarde geplaas is vir ‘n rede, en uit elke negatiewe gebeurtenis moet daar iets positiefs vloei. Jy moet net die probleme hanteer.” Sy was die eerste en enigste gestremde atleet wat nog ooit in die geskiedenis van die Spele na ‘n eindronde vir nie-gestremde swemmers deurgedring het.

The inclusion of top SA swimmers in Roland Schoeman, Darian Townsend, Jean Basson and Cameron van der Burgh in the premier tier of the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee’s Operation Excellence Road to London 2012 provisional squad, illustrates the important role that aquatics plays as far as bringing sports glory to SA is concerned.

Read the rest of the article at: Lane9, Swimming News.

By Manu González

La nadadora surafricana Natalie Du Toit, con una pierna amputada por un accidente de coche, ya participó en la prueba de Aguas Abiertas en los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing, terminando decimosexta.

A pesar de que sufrió la amputación de la pierna izquierda a los 17 años cuando fue arrollada por un coche cuando iba en su moto, esta nadadora ha vuelto a dar un ejemplo de que el deporte es integración. Tras participar con éxito en los Juegos Olímpicos de Beijing en la prueba de Aguas Abiertas, ahora volverá a participar el próximo mes de agosto en los Mundiales de Roma junto a los mejores nadadores del planeta a pesar de ser una deportista paralímpica.

Así, esta nadadora sudafricana de 25 años participará en Roma en los 10 kilómetros de aguas abiertas y participará en una prueba de la Copa del mundo en el mes de julio. Con ello, comienza según sus propias palabras “el primer año de mi plan de preparación pensado para los Juegos Olímpicos y Paralímpicos de Londres 2012. Hay que ir poco a poco y este año todo está encaminado a adquirir experiencia internacional”.

Y es que el gran objetivo de Du Toit es intentar colgarse una medalla en unos Juegos Olímpicos a pesar de tener una pierna amputada. Si lo consiguiera se convertiría en el segundo atleta amputado de la historia en subir a un podio desde que lo hiciera el tirador húngaro Karoly Takacs en 1958 y 1956, tras aprender a disparar con la mano izquierda después de haber perdido la derecha por la explosión de una granada.

die Natalie du Toit. Die beinamputierte australische Schwimmerin hat in allen fünf Wettbewerben die Goldmedallie geholt.
Von dieser Stelle aus die herzlichsten Glückwünsche zu dieser grandiosen Leistung. Sie gewann 100m Delphin, 100m Kraul, 200m Lagen, 400m Kraul und zuletzt 50m Kraul.
Sie trat ja auch bei Olympia an und wurde im 10 km Bewerb 16te. Eine ganz tolle junge Frau und Sportlerin.

Well, what a way to wake up to the world this morning. I love sport. Just love it. Addicted even. And it doesn’t get much better than this. A 1-2-3 sucker punch first thing on a Saturday morning and I am on top of the world baby!

1. Natalie du Toit takes her 4th Gold!

You go girl! Our Natalie du Toit… Did you know she carried the flag for South Africa at the Olympics? Okay, she “only” came 16th in her race – the long distance swimming race. But then, it was only the 4th time she swam it in a competition. Did I mention that she is also a Paralympic? Yep, she has done both the Olympics and the Paralympics! Talk about a real hero to inspire. But then, that’s out Natalie. She makes history just waking up in the morning. Did I mention that she lost a leg in a car accident a few years back? And she won her 4th Gold Medal while I was sleeping! You go girl!

Just another walk in the park...

2. Oscar wins his second Gold!

You might remember him as that guy I wrote about a while back. You know in At last! Run, baby, run! The guy with no legs who wanted to run at the Olympics? The fastest man on no legs? Well, thanks to the delays in his case being heard by the Olympic Committee, he didn’t make it to the Olympics. Next time. He is still young. But Oscar just won his second Gold Medal at the Paralympics. And he hasn’t even run in his best event yet! You go boy! Run you Cheetah, run! Run into those history books my man! Nothing is gonna stop you now. And we’ll see another Paralympic kick some Olympic butt in London in 2012. Go Oscar!

Easy, easy, easy...

3. Liverpool 2 : 1 Manchester United

I am not going to say much about this one. Let me just quote the greatest soccer manager to ever walk this earth – Bill Shankly… “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.” I am a Red through and through. You’ll Never Walk Alone. Click on that link and tell me your hair didn’t stand up when you heard those Scousers sing it? It’s the 12th man on the field… You’ll never walk alone when you are a Red. And it is especially true when we beat the old enemy… The glory boys from Manchester.

Just another day at the office...

__________________________

Yes, that was my perfect start to a Saturday… Let the weekend roll! Taking over the world baby!

With the Beijing Olympics now over one thing that stood out for me, is that South Africa (stuff to do with that country, if you don’t get it by now, is a major feature of this blog) hardly featured in Western reporting from and about the Beijing Games. Other African countries and athletes, fared marginally better in the coverage stakes).

As for South Africa, the exceptions were: the pre-Games tug-of-war as to whether Oscar Pistorius should be allowed to compete and the salute to swimmer Natalie du Toit’s tenacity.  The real reason may be the fact that in the final medal count, only one South African athlete, Khotso Mokoena, had won a medal: a silver in the men’s long jump.

That put South Africa 76th overall in the final medal table, behind a number of African countries, including suprisingly Zimbabwe (!). Finishing above South Africa in the medal table, were Kenya (15th), Ethiopia (18), Zimbabwe (38; all the work of one athlete), Cameroon (53rd), Tunisia (51), Nigeria (55), Algeria (65) and Morocco (69).

But back to when South Africa was the Olympics story.

No not 1992 in Barcelona. That was the Olympics when professionalism became synonymous with the Games (remember the bloated US basketball “Dream Team.”). It was actually in 1968.  Yes, 1968. And it involved two American, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, and an Australian sprinter, Peter Norman. The story.

P.S. Sports writer Dave Zirin’s blog entry on The Nation’s blog, The Notion, remind us that the more things have changed at the Olympics, the more they stay the same.

Every once in a while, you come across a story that really makes you feel good. That makes you believe in what people call ‘the triumph of the human spirit’.

The medals of Vijender Kumar and Sushil Kumar are triumphs in the face of official apathy and indifference, and these guys deserve every last bit of the praise they get. They have run harder and longer than most others to get to this stage. But for me, the defining story has to be that of Natalie du Toit. A swimmer with an amputated leg, she not only qualified for the Summer Olympics (a first), she also competed in what people call the toughest swimming event, the 10 km open water race. And she finished 16^th, a minute and twenty-two seconds behind the winner, and ahead of 9 other able-bodied Olympic-level swimmers, including the winner at the Pan American games of 2007.

These are true parables of dreams and determination. And amidst the well-deserved accolades that Phelps and Bolt have got, let us remember the odds that were stacked against Vijender and Sushil. And let us also recognise the uplifting story of one woman’s spirit, her fight and triumph.

“…every single emotion is important, and you have to go through it. On the same token you have to be grateful for what you have. Yeah, you have to be as positive as possible.”

She represents South Africa. She competed in the open water swim – 6.2 miles. 10K. It’s a new event. She placed 16th out of the 25 Olympians who qualified. Who swims 6.2 miles? Who spends two hours of swimming nonstop? At the Olympics? As the very first amputee athlete?

Look her up. She’s cool.

The women’s open water 10k competition took place today and Russian Larisa Ilchenko took gold in just under 2 hours (1:59:27.7) Two british women took silver and bronze, Keri-Anne Payne and Cassandra Patten, respectively. Congrats to all competitors. Ilchenko Leads Brit Pair In Historic Marathon

The real story here is that of South African Natalie du Toit. Her story is one of perserverance and inspiration. Considered the top distance swimmer in South Africa and among the best in the world, unfortunately she was in a scooter accident in 2001 and lost her left leg above the knee. She continued to train and narrowly missed quallifying for the Athens games but would later win 6 medals in the Olympic pool as a paralympian. She kept training and at the World Open Water Championships in Seville, Spain she qualified for Beijing by finishing 4th. South Africa even went so far to select her as the country’s flag bearer for the opening ceremonies.

She didn’t medal in Beijing, she took 16th. But her story supersedes the race results. It tells a tale of courage and the power of the human spirit. Winner Larisa Ilchenko applauded du Toit saying, “I want to compliment her on being so strong and so brave.”

The 2012 games in London aren’t far from her mind. She said, “Hopefully I’ll be back for 2012 (London Olympics), where I’ll be hoping for a top-five finish.” I only hope to see it.

Natalie du Toit fulfils her dream

This is an exceptional story. Anybody who can accomplish what she’s done, at that level should be applauded, but to do it minus one leg is extraordinary. Mad props to Natalie!

greg

Athletic greatness requires physical skill, unparalleled desire, and a mental fortitude that I don’t think most mortals are even capable of comprehending. It also requires coaching, resources, and teamwork.

Watching Nastia Lukin & Shawn Johnson haul in gymnastic medals was exciting. They epitomized cooperation and individual achievement.

Michael Phelps repeatedly outclassed his competition, but also required a strong team to win relays and set the new 8 gold medal standard. So, even as an individual, he relied on teamwork.

To see Usain Bolt completely decimate his opponents was breath-taking. His record-setting performances appeared effortless. I am sure that Bolt has the finest coaching in Jamaica, but I doubt that the facilities can compare to American Track & Field. With his talent and potential, given optimal resources, what might he achieve?!

Bolt has just turned 22, Phelps is 23, and Johnson is 16. They haven’t even peaked!

For me, however, the most triumphant performance was not that of a medalist: if ever the Olympic spirit of competitiveness was exemplified by a single performance, it was amputee Natalie du Toit of South Africa. She swam with incomprehensible courage. She may have finished 16th in the 10km open water swim, but she surely symbolizes a winner.

Six months after an accident that took her left leg, she was back in the pool. Ultimately, she reached the Olympics and swam with the best. Nine swimmer finished behind her, including am American woman.

When Nike and the other corporate sponsors look to sign-up athletes for multi-million dollar endorsements, I hope that du Toit is at the top of the list.

Du Toit, Bolt, Phelps, or whichever names you can conjure up, all represent the ability to think beyond acceptable limits, and then achieve new marks of excellence.

The rest of us should be so inspired in our daily lives.

Em maio tinha falado do exemplo de superação da sul americana Natalie du Toit, que teve a perna amputada por causa de um acidente, mas tinha conseguido vaga para Pequim.

Hoje ela é manchete de sites, mesmo ficando só (?) em 16º lugar entre as 25 competidoras da maratona aquática.

Ela disse que conseguiu realizar um sonho:

Para mim, nadar, vir a uma Olimpíada, é um sonho que se torna realidade

E resumiu bem o espírito olímpico:

Você não tem de ser campeão, não tem de ser o melhor, se você alcançar seu sonho. É a realização que importa.

Mesmo não tendo ido tão bem quanto esperava, vale lembrar que ela conseguiu vaga por mérito e competiu com pessoas “normais”.

A russa Larisa Ilchenko,  campeã da prova, disse:

Seria interessante darem a ela uma medalha de ouro pelo esforço. É preciso muita força de vontade para competir nesta prova. Quero cumprimentá-la por ser tão forte e tão brava.

Ai fica um grande exemplo de determinação, garra e vontade a ser seguido.

Fonte: site Terra

Open water swimmer Natalie du Toit, also the first female amputee to compete in the Olympics, has been getting a lot of love in the US media ahead of tonight’s women’s marathon swim at the Olympics. Here’s USA Today (the soapy claim in the title is from a story in this paper), The New York Times and CNN. I doubt she’ll add to the medal count — South Africa has one silver against the four of neighboring Zimbabwe in the nationalist-driven contest.