“Absolute Legend”: Mzansi Amped to See Paralympic Gold Medallist Natalie Du Toit on Their Screens

• South African Paralympic gold medallist Natalie du Toit wowed Mzansi when they saw one of her TikTok videos sharing swimmer tips
• Natalie was the swimmer to beat in the early 2000s before her retirement after the London 2012 Games
• Local online community members flooded Natalie's comment section with positivity and sang her praises

Paralympic gold medallist Natalie du Toit took people down memory lane with her social media presence. People online couldn't help but be in awe of the South African swimmer who they adored during their childhoods.

What started the hype was the para-athlete posting a video on her official TikTok account on Wednesday, giving people a tip on how to wear a swim cap the swimmer's way.

She told app users:

"Not calling anyone out, but if your swim cap seam is off to the side, we might need to talk. Here’s a little swimmer tip: Seam straight down the middle. It’s smoother, faster, and let’s be honest, it's a total power move. Because it's not just a cap... it’s a code."

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The swimmer had her left leg amputated at the knee after a car hit her while she was riding her scooter after swimming practice. She was 17 at the time.

Natalie du Toit's swimming achievements

According to Laureus' website, Natalie not only competed in the Paralympic Games but also the Olympic Games. For the former, the para-athlete won 13 gold medals, 12 gold medals for the World Championship, and four medals for the Commonwealth Games.

She retired after the London 2012 Games.

SA excited to see Natalie du Toit

It's been years since hearing the name 'Natalie du Toit,' so it's no surprise that people couldn't contain their excitement when Natalie's TikTok clip popped up on their For You Pages (FYP). The gold medallist's presence reminded app users of their youth and how they incorporated her in their schoolwork.

@mphozarous wrote in the comments:

"Natalie du Toit, an absolute legend."

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@khanyamkuhlu said to the Paralympian:

"A national treasure! We are so happy to see you on here!"

@hle.eeee added under the post:

"I used to do my primary school speeches and research on you. Bathong, it's so nice to see you on my FYP."

@metastable95 shared in the comment section:

"Do you still swim, Natalie? You were a massive inspiration to me when I was a swimmer in school. I'm 30 now. I did long distance and racing because of you. I think you won three golds in the 2012 Commonwealth, and I was in matric in 2013."

@just_jameela laughed when they told Natalie:

"I actually didn’t recognise you until you put the cap on."

@remzy562 happily revealed to people on the internet:

"I’ve never been so happy to see someone I haven’t seen in a while! Hello. I don’t even swim, but I took notes."

An estatic @deantjies_ remarked:

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"Wow, do you know what a legend you are? You were part of our primary school essays and comprehension articles."

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about Paralympians

• In another article, Briefly News reported that disgraced Paralympian Oscar Pistorius finished third in his category at the Durban Ironman race, marking his second race post-prison.
• Last year, para-cyclist Nicholas Pieter du Preez made South Africans proud when he finished on the podium at the Paralympic Games in Paris, France.
• Lucas Sithole and Donald Ramphadi made history at the 2024 Paralympic Games by winning bronze in wheelchair tennis. A video captured Lucas' fall during their joyous celebration.

Source: Briefly News