DISABLED swimmer Simone Mare (15) bagged a gold, five silvers and a bronze medal at last weekend’s SA Paralympic Championships, where she turned in a star performance despite being moved up three levels from S6 to S9.
She earned the gold medal in the 50m freestyle, silvers for the 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, individual medley and medley relay, and a bronze for the 100m backstroke.
Ushaka Swimming School coach Francois Boshoff, who has been coaching her for two years, said she is one step closer to qualifying for the 2020 Olympics, but a lot of hard work still lies ahead.
Swimming school supporters describe her achievement as ‘absolutely fantastic’, especially in the light of the fact that she competed against such strong swimmers.
Simone suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of a traumatic birth during which the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck.
She caught the attention of the Zululand swimming circles when she competed against able bodied swimmers in the prestigious Ushaka Championships, earning two silver and two bronze medals, and five gold medals at the Durban Kingspark KANZA provincial championships.
Despite being hampered by epilepsy, neck and lower back spasms, migraines and weakness in the legs, she is known for her tenacity, stamina and willpower.
