Charl du Toit made headlines at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro when he took gold in the T37 100m and 400m, and became the first member from Team SA to bag two medals.
He dedicated his gold medals to his uncle, who was shot and killed just weeks before the team left for Rio. The 24-year-old, who was born with cerebral palsy, has always had an affinity to run. Initially a middle-distance runner, his coach, Suzanne Ferreira, convinced him to swop distance for speed.
The results were slow at first, and culminated in a disappointing loss at the London Paralympics in 2012. There, he was eliminated from the 100m heats and finished sixth in the 800m. In true South African spirit, he turned his fortunes around in Rio, which he credits to the sporting excellence that is Stellenbosch University.
When he is not winning golds on the track, du Toit is studying towards his Honours in Educational Management, or managing projects for Living Legends. Living Legends is a youth development NGO that aims to empower children to take responsibility for their own destinies.
No matter his goals off the track, running remains his first love, and he is set on adding more gold to the tally at the next Paralympics.
|You need to trust in God’s plan for you and not try to take matters into your own hands.|
