AT first glance, he is a mild, gentle young man with a noticeable humbleness despite his handsome looks and tall, athletic frame.
His friends love his fine-tuned impersonation of the Viking warlord Stoic of ‘How to Train your Dragon’ and his impromptu dramatic performances guarantee top-notch classroom entertainment.
He is also the go-to-guy for every technological hiccup and glitch.
If you don’t know what to study, ask Daniel. If you did not understand maths calculations, ask Daniel. If your ipad is doing something funny, ask Daniel.
But when you look into his eyes, there is no mistaking the steely, single-minded determination of a champion.
Daniel Dannhauser, Grade 9 learner at the Richards Bay Christian School (RBCS), turns 15 this month, but his creativity and progressive thinking are thrusting him ahead of his time on every level.
A competitive swimmer since the age of 11, Daniel exchanged the traditional endurance type training for Ultra Short Race Pace Training (USRPT).
The method is still in its experimental phases and comprises of skill sets and training at full race pace at all times. The aim is long term-performance.
Next month will see him competing for the fourth time at the SA Swimming Championships in Sasolburg.
Daniel represented KZN at the SA Schools Championships in Pretoria in December, and at RBCS’s inter-house gala last month he set four new records in his age group.
He was elected Junior Sportsman of the Year and Junior Victor Ludorum for three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013 and Senior Victor Ludorum for 2014.
A normal day for Daniel involves three hours of training, all while maintaining an above 80% academic average for all subjects from Grade 6 to 8.
Daniel was one of the first students to experiment with how his iPad and studies could be integrated to save time and achieve results.
He created mind maps on PREZI and published it, enabling fellow class mates and teachers to benefit too.
Daniel loves strategic gaming in his spare time, and also plays the piano and the violin.
But his mates agree, what Daniel is best at, is being a true friend.
