Swanepoel bags two golds at world swimming champs
This was her second time at the World Para Swimming Championships.
Local lass Kat Swanepoel bagged two gold medals and a silver during the World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester from July 31 to August 6.
The Paralympian claimed South Africa’s first medal at the Games after winning a silver in the women’s 50m SB9 breaststroke on July 31.
Swanepoel touched the wall in 57.19 seconds to set a new African record in the distance. She was second to Italy’s Monica Boggioni.
She followed that up with another record-breaking performance in the women’s 150m SM4 individual medley, touching the wall in a time of 02:51, over 10 seconds ahead of second-placed Gina Boettcher from Germany, to win the gold medal.
The celebrations were put on hold, however, as the officials investigated whether the swimmer had transgressed the rules with her turn from backstroke to breaststroke.
She was initially disqualified but the result was reinstated after an appeal and extensive review of the race footage.
The Eastern Gauteng Aquatics (EGA) member added to her collection with another fine performance in women’s S4 50m backstroke, clocking 47.989 seconds to take the gold.
This was Swanepoel’s fifth world para swimming championships medal after picking up a bronze and silver, during last year’s games in Portugal.
She set another African record in the S4 100m freestyle after finishing the event in 01:36, for her third milestone in the Games.
The 36-year old was part of the six swimmers selected to represent the country in the games.
Alani Ferreira won a bronze medal in the women’s S12 100m breaststroke to make it four medals for Team South Africa.
Swanepoel has faced many challenges in her life.
She was diagnosed with a progressive degenerative form of multiple sclerosis in 2008, which consigned her to a wheelchair two years later.
She’s paralysed from the chest down, blind in one eye and has had to deal with having her body get progressively weaker. Furthermore, she has no sensation or movement from the chest down and in half of her arms.
When she’s tired, she struggles with her speech as parts of her brain, optic nerves and spinal cord can be affected by her illness. She’s had a stroke and seizures.
Despite all these, the swimmer has persevered and carved her own path in swimming, which she said has given her a new lease on life.
She represented South Africa at the Tokyo Paralympics and also has national colours in wheelchair rugby and basketball.
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