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SOUTH AFRICA ANNOUNCES TEAM
FOR PORTUGAL
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, Donnče Dixon, Leanne Jelf
 All
the swimmers are highly motivated and are committed to training hard for
the 4th International & World Championships to be held in
Albufeira, Portugal towards the end of the year.
OT HER
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
4th 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 7th 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
1st 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 |
