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Biography
Impairment information
Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
F54
Further personal information
Family
Child Azamazi
Residence
Stellenbosch, RSA
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
Sotho, Xhosa, Zulu, English
Sport specific information
When and where did you begin this sport?
She took up athletics in 1985 while she was at school in Umtata, South Africa. She came from a rural village called Transkei and effectively coached herself. She turned professional in 1988.
Why this sport?
One of her teachers encouraged her to take up javelin. "I did athletics at school and enjoyed it. It also stops me just sitting down and doing nothing."
Club / Team
Maties ParaSport Club: Stellenbosch, RSA
Training Regime
"My normal training is one hour outdoors and one hour in the gym. That's all. I do this five times a week."
International debut
Year
1996
Competing for
South Africa
Tournament
World Championships
Location
England
General interest
Nicknames
Zanele (sun.ac.za, 14 Feb 2016; Facebook profile, 21 Jun 2020)
Hero / Idol
South African Para athlete Fanie Lombaard, South African middle-distance runner Caster Semenya. (sport.iafrica.com, 05 Sep 2012; Athlete, 26 Jan 2011)
Injuries
In early 2019 she sustained a shoulder injury. (Monster Javelin Coaching Facebook page, 01 Jul 2019)
She suffered a shoulder injury in 2010, but it did not affect her performance at any of her competitions. (Athlete, 26 Jan 2011)
She suffered a shoulder injury in 2010, but it did not affect her performance at any of her competitions. (Athlete, 26 Jan 2011)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Keep going, follow your dreams and never give up." (sport.iafrica.com, 05 Sep 2012)
Awards and honours
In 2019 she received the Chief Director Merit Award at the Maties Sport Awards in Stellenbosch, South Africa. (Monster Javelin Coaching Facebook page, 18 Oct 2019)
She was flag bearer for South Africa at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (myinfo.rio2016.com, 06 Sep 2016)
She was presented with the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. (whoswhosa.co.za, 18 Nov 2010)
She received the National Order of Ikhamanga Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2003. (zar.co.za, 18 Nov 2010)
She was flag bearer for South Africa at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (myinfo.rio2016.com, 06 Sep 2016)
She was presented with the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. (whoswhosa.co.za, 18 Nov 2010)
She received the National Order of Ikhamanga Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2003. (zar.co.za, 18 Nov 2010)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (uct.ac.za, 08 Aug 2019; Team South Africa Instagram profile, 12 Sep 2020)
Impairment
In 1982 she started to feel weak and soon afterwards found she could no longer walk. She was in a semi-coma for two years and became paralysed from the fourth vertebra down due to a tuberculosis infection in her spinal cord. (zar.co.za, 18 Nov 2010)
Other information
BOOK
She has been featured in the biography 'Zanele Situ: My Story' authored by Liz Sparg, Jesse Breytenbach and Andy Thesen. (digitallibrary.io, 01 Jan 2020)
She has been featured in the biography 'Zanele Situ: My Story' authored by Liz Sparg, Jesse Breytenbach and Andy Thesen. (digitallibrary.io, 01 Jan 2020)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Discus Throw F54 | Final Round | 3 | ||
| Women's Javelin F54 | Final Round | 1 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54-56 | Final Round | 7 | ||
| Women's Discus Throw F54-56 | Final Round | 9 | ||
| Women's Shot Put F54-56 | Final Round | 12 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54/55 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Women's Discus Throw F54/55 | Final Round | 7 | ||
| Women's Shot Put F54/55 | Final Round | 6 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54-56 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Women's Discus Throw F54-56 | Final Round | 4 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F52-54 | Final Round | 1 | ||
| Women's Discus Throw F51-54 | Final Round | 2 | ||
| Women's Shot Put F52-54 | Final Round | 4 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54-56 | Final | 2011-01-27 | 3 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54-56 | Final Round | 2012-09-05 | 4 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Shot Put F54 | Final 1 | 2013-07-22 | 11 | |
| Women's Discus Throw F54-56 | Final 1 | 2013-07-23 | 6 | |
| Women's Javelin F54-56 | Final 1 | 2013-07-25 | 3 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54 | Final 1 | 2015-10-23 | 3 | |
| Women's Discus Throw F55 | Final 1 | 2015-10-28 | 9999 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54 | Final Round | 2016-09-13 | 3 | |
| Women's Discus Throw F55 | Final Round | 2016-09-17 | 10 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Javelin F54 | Final 1 | 2017-07-16 | 3 | |
| Women's Shot Put F54 | Final 1 | 2017-07-18 | 6 |