Toti’s latest Olympic gold medallist is 19-year-old Mariske Viljoen, who returned elated from the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.
She went as a unified partner for Down Syndrome bowler Kathy Drew of Johannesburg.
They achieved a gold medal in ten pin bowling, beating the host nation into second place.
“It was amazing to get gold,” said a tired Mariske, after touching down at King Shaka International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, 5 August.
“We wanted to bring back the gold – and we did. The competition was tough, so we were surprised to finish on the top step.”
Mariske matriculated at Amanzimtoti High School last year, where she headed up the Leos Club.
“The surprising part is I was not even into tenpin bowling. I was looking for a sport to compete in and I thought I would give it a go, as I had played with my family previously.
Winning has now made me a fan and I want to start playing league.”
Mariske only teamed up with Kathy after attending a training camp in Johannesburg on 18 July.
She had only participated in one other training camp in Cape Town before then. Kathy had competed at the games once before, but this was Mariske’s first time.
At the games they played together and their scores were combined. Despite competing against more seasoned bowlers, the SA pair beat USA to the gold by 20 points.
“Everyone was very friendly at the games and we made some lasting friendships.”
The 88 players, partners and coaches of the SA team stayed at the University of Los Angeles and University of Southern California. They competed in nine different sports codes against 177 countries.
“We bowled at Lucky Strike in downtown LA. We got to see quite a bit of downtown and on our last day there, we visited Hollywood.
At the opening ceremony we saw Michelle Obama, and Stevie Wonder, Avril Lavigne and Carly Rae Jepsen performed.”
