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Two members of the Maties-Helderberg Sport Club for people with disabilities gave their coach the perfect birthday gift on Monday (28 July) when they won gold and silver in the 100m (T37) at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Paralympians Fanie van der Merwe and Charl du Toit made coach Suzanne Ferreira’s day when they crossed the line in first and second place respectively. Ferreira, a Sport Science lecturer at Stellenbosch University, wrote the following on her Facebook page: “My birthday present from the champions! They kept their promised to deliver! Precious moments in our journey! Thank you and well done!” Club manager Wentzel Barnard said it was nice to see these athletes perform well as they train very hard. The T37 category is for athletes suffering from cerebral palsy. Another member of the club, 19-year-old Lean Simon, came 5th in the F42/44 class for discus with a distance of 46.39m. This is a personal best and an African record. Jackie Wiese, Director: Maties Sport, said they are very proud of these athletes and their coaches. “The Maties-Helderberg Club is rightly acknowledged as a Centre of Excellence for Paralympic Sport in Africa. The achievements of these athletes are the product of their exceptional commitment and can be linked to the expertise and commitment of the coaches and a first-class integrated medical and scientific appoach.” |
Article issued by Stellenbosch University. To view their profile on SAstudy, click here.