Natalie Du Toit

August 01 2002 at 08:49PM

	By Mark Beer

Manchester – Natalie du Toit is well on the way towards realising her dream of competing in the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

The one-legged South African, nicknamed “Noodle”, took a giant stride closer to her ultimate objective here yesterday by qualifying for the final of the Commonwealth Games 800m freestyle event – for able-bodied swimmers – at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

“I am a distance freestyle athlete. I am not a disabled freestyle athlete,” the inspirational 18-year-old stated after finishing fifth in her morning heat in a time of 9min 12,14sec to advance to Friday evening’s final as the eighth and final qualifier.

This was the brave Capetonian’s first international able-bodied race since losing her left leg when she was knocked off her motor scooter on her way to school from a training session on February 27, 2001.

“Although it was quite tricky, the greatest thing mentally for me was just to make it to the final, so that I can show disabled people that such things can be done,” said Du Toit, who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games as an able-bodied athlete.

On Wednesday, she competed for the first time among disabled swimmers, breaking the world record for the EAD (Elite Athletes with a Disability) 50m freestyle in the heats, then winning gold in the final. And she says she was more nervous then than she was before she hopped onto the blocks for Wednesday’s qualifier.

“I was very nervous,” she said, “probably because it was my first disabled race.

“And lots of people were telling me all the time that I was only a couple of seconds off the world record, which I didn’t like because it put additional pressure on me.”

Du Toit, whose hobbies include collecting Parker pens, says that she found it difficult to prepare for the Games as she does not see herself as handicapped.

“I had to train and taper for my able-bodied and disabled swims, which was not the easiest thing, but I am really looking forward to tomorrow (Friday). It should be lots of fun.”

Apart from the 800m able-bodied final on Friday, the gutsy South African also goes off in the EAD 100m freestyle.

When she returned to training three months after her accident, Du Toit experienced “excruciating pain”, but said that the support of her family, her coach Karoly von Toros and the South African public had given her the psychological boost she had needed to carry on swimming.

“The first couple of times I swam (after the accident), it felt like the leg was there, but it wasn’t,” she smiled.

“But I still think that I am the same person allround. I haven’t changed at all, except now I am a role model.”

August 01 2002 at 03:29PM

By Larry Lombaard

Manchester – Gold medal winner Natalie du Toit qualified on Thursday to become the first disabled swimmer in history to compete in an open Commonwealth Games final when she takes to the Manchester Aquatic Centre pool in the 800m freestyle on Friday night.

Du Toit, who lost her left leg just above the knee in a scooter accident in early 2001, is in fact on course to swim 1000 metres during Friday’s competition.

The Cape Town swimmer, who won swimming’s first gold in the Elite Athletes with a Disability (EAD) 50m freestyle Wednesday night, will swim an EAD 100m freestyle semi Friday morning.

Progressing to Friday evening’s final should be a formality, then she has a 20 minute rest before the open 800 freestyle.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” said Du Toit after finishing Thursday’s 800 semi in 9min 12,14sec, her time ousting Jason Dawn of Wales from the final.

Australia’s Amanda Pascoe went through as the fastest qualifier with 8:40,88.

“I’m going to have lots of fun. I must make sure I’m well fed and rested overnight,” said Du Toit.

“The greatest thing mentally about making it through to the final is to show other disabled athletes what can be done.”

Du Toit, however, said she did not consider herself to be handicapped by her amputation, and she was still on course to qualify for the Olympics in Athens 2004.

“I’m not a disabled athlete,” she told reporters after her heat. “I’m a distance freestyle athlete. I don’t consider myself to be handicapped.

“My times have consistently improved which is a good sign. It means I’m still on course to qualify for Athens.”

Asked whether she would opt for EAD events or concentrate on open races, the Cape Town icon said: “I’ll take a couple of months to decide, but I understand that the financial support and the stature of disability swimming is growing with every meet, and whatever decision I make will be my best one.”

Du Toit, who narrowly missed qualifying for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, returned to the pool soon after leaving hospital and struggled to finish one length of the pool.

She improved one stroke at a time, compensating for the lack of thrust from her left leg with her arms. Just over a year later she had qualified for the Commonwealth Games final 39 seconds off gold medal favourite Pascoe over 800m.

It’s a long way to go yet, but, as she points out in her quiet and thoughtful manner, look at how far she has come. – Sapa