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Biography
Impairment information
Origin of Impairment
Congenital
Classification
S7, SB7, SM7
Further personal information
Family
Wife Katerine van der Spuy
Residence
Stellenbosch, RSA
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
Afrikaans, English
Higher education
Psychology - Stellenbosch University: South Africa
Sport specific information
When and where did you begin this sport?
He began swimming at age seven at school. He stopped swimming in grade 10 because he wanted to play a team sport, and took up football for a while, before returning to swimming.
Why this sport?
He began swimming, along with other activities like cycling and playing the drums and piano, to help strengthen his upper body and improve coordination. "I wouldn't say I'm sporty, just competitive. I don't think I'm naturally good at things, I'm just a person who practises a lot. I love playing sport. You get so much testosterone and endorphins. And the adrenaline - it's addictive."
Club / Team
Lane Leader Stellenbosch: South Africa
Name of coach
Keith Jansen [club]
International debut
Year
2017
Competing for
South Africa
General interest
Hobbies
Sports, barbecues, computer games, going out with friends, reading, walking his dogs, software and web development. (speedo.co.za, 01 Jan 2021; netwerk24.com, 30 Apr 2018)
Memorable sporting achievement
Achieving a personal best in the 200m individual medley at the 2020 National Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. (speedo.co.za, 01 Jan 2021)
Most influential person in career
Coach Karin Hugo. (Athlete, 09 Sep 2019)
Hero / Idol
Spanish footballer Santi Cazorla. (Athlete, 09 Sep 2019)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"You are not going to win by focusing on what others do. You need to focus on what you need to do, to succeed. We are all different and to achieve at the highest it means doing what others might not." (speedo.co.za, 01 Jan 2021)
Impairment
He has radial dysplasia, which refers to the absence or underdevelopment of the radial bone in the forearm. (Athlete, 09 Sep 2019; matiemedia.org, 09 Jul 2019)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100 m Freestyle S7 | Final 1 | 2017-12-02 | 4 | |
| Men's 50 m Freestyle S7 | Final 1 | 2017-12-04 | 2 | |
| Men's 50 m Butterfly S7 | Final 1 | 2017-12-05 | 2 | |
| Men's 100 m Breaststroke SB7 | Final 1 | 2017-12-05 | 4 | |
| Men's 200 m Individual Medley SM7 | Final 1 | 2017-12-07 | 2 |