The National Summer Games for the South African Sports Association for Intellectually Impaired were held in Potchefstroom, North West Province from 10-14 March 2008. The sporting codes competing were Cricket, Table Tennis and Swimming. Cross Country athletes participated in a training camp. A total of 450 athletes converged on Potchefstroom for this prestigious sporting event.

168 swimmers took part in 85 events offered over the four days of competition which included age group relays and separate events for swimmers with Down syndrome, numbers permitting. This was a ‘development” year and the gala was swam in a short course pool. For the first time in 2006 age group records were established. Many of those age group records were broken in both the S14 and Down syndrome events.

A total of 38 swimmers with Down syndrome challenged each other for a place in the national team. Competition was particularly tough amongst the men. The 50 freestyle being an exciting race, with Tyrone, Peter, Sean and Hannes-Walt touching within split seconds of each other!

Two world records were broken at this event. Tyrone Rademeyer, 50 butterfly and Jennifer Higgins, 200 backstroke. Johan Hugo broke two South African records, 100 & 200 breaststroke (age group) and Peter Lundy the 100 butterfly. Jacques Nel set a new 25 breaststroke SA record as did Pietie Bell in the 25 backstroke (age group). As the pool had not been certified and approved by DSISO the world records cannot be recognized.

At the end of August a training camp will take place in Durban and the swimmers will compete in the Beavers Short Course Champs.

A team of fourteen swimmers were selected. Ten men and four women.

Men:

Tyrone Rademeyer, Peter Lundy, Johan Hugo, Sean O’Neill, Pietie Bell, Hylton Heggie, Jacques Nel, Karl Hebbelmann, Andrew Shelton and Hannes-Walt de Klerk (Mosaic).

Women:

Jennifer Higgins, Betty-Lou Miller, Donnèe Dixon, Leanne Jelf

Text Box: Award Winners in Taiwan, June 2007
Sean O’Neill, Peter Lundy, Hannes-Walt de Klerk, Jennifer Higgins, Pietie Bell, Betty-lou Miller All the swimmers are highly motivated and are committed to training hard for the 4^th International & World Championships to be held in Albufeira, Portugal towards the end of the year.

OTHER SPORTING NEWS

Cross Country athletes will be participating in the World Cross Country Championships in Poland from 10-14 April 2008. The Athletics Team will be competing at the European Open Championships in Manchester, England in June this year and the S14 swimmers at the 4^th INAS-FID Open European Swimming Championships to be held in Poland in August.

South Africa extends an invitation to all African countries to the SA Development Games in September 2008 which is to take place in the Western Cape. Sporting codes include Athletics, Cross Country, Basketball, Football and Netball. Table Tennis teams are invited to challenge the SA National Table Tennis team.

Barbara Higgins 31st March 2008

GREGORY

Greg Steyn, a name so familiar to many us and who we all have special memories of. He was such a colourful character. It was a great shock to hear of his untimely death on 7^th November.

Greg was diagnosed with leukaemia in April this year and received his first round of chemotherapy, but did not go into remission. He returned to Westville Hospital in October for a second round of chemo. He was coping well with the treatment, always being positive and uncomplaining, but unfortunately contracted pneumonia and doctors were unable to bring down his high temperature.

Sport always played an important part in Greg’s life and he participated in many different codes. It was in swimming that Greg excelled and made a name for himself. He was a member of the KwaZulu Natal swimming team for years and attended many national swimming competitions. He was also a member of the national Down syndrome swimming team that participated international events.

In 2002 Greg was one of the 10 South African swimmers who went to Reading, England, to participate in the 1^st International Down Syndrome Swimming Championships. At that competition he won 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals. He also received a special award for swimming the fastest time in 25 butterfly and for setting the first world record in this event.

In 2004 he had another impressive competition - 2 gold medals 1 silver and 1 bronze. In Ireland in 2006 Greg won 2 bronze medals and swam six personal best times.

Estelle, Greg’s mum, made sure that Greg was given every opportunity to ensure that he reached his full potential and that he had an interesting and meaningful life. Greg was a confident young man who enjoyed his 31 years to the fullest.

Barbara Higgins 11.11.07