The 2024 Paralympic Games marks a record number of 1,983 female athletes competing across nine sporting codes in Paris this year.
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Team South Africa is proud to contribute to this progress, fielding a diverse and talented group of fourteen female athletes representing the nation in multiple sporting codes.
As the first day of the Paralympics kick off, we’re sharing an overview of every female athlete representing South Africa in Paris, over the coming 11 days:
Louzanne Coetzee (T11 – 1500m and marathon)
Para-athlete Louzanne Coetzee was born blind due to Leber congenital amaurosis. She competes in the T11 category for athletes with near-total visual impairment, competing with a sighted guide.
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Now 31, Coetzee has consistently demonstrated her athletic ability despite her visual impairment. In 2017, she broke the 5000m world record in 2017 and became the first visually impaired athlete at the World University Cross Country Championships in 2018.
Coetzee has previously competed in the 2016 Paralympics but was disqualified. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, she won silver in the 1500m, setting an Africa record, and bronze in the marathon, establishing a new T11 world record.
Sheryl James (T37 – 100m, 200m, 400m)
Sheryl Denise James, 2020 Paralympic bronze medalist from Limpopo, competes in the T37 category for athletes with moderate movement and coordination impairment on one side. James was born with cerebral palsy and has hemiplegia with impaired muscle functionality on the right side of her body.
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She defied expectations in her debut at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, only two years after taking up sprinting at 32. She quickly excelled under guidance of her coach, Gideon Joubert. Beyond athletics, James is a farmer who aspires to reach her full potential and be a light in the lives of others, reports The Insider.
Liezel Gouws (T37 – 400m and long jump)
Liezel Gouws, 25, is competing in her third Paralympic Games in Paris. Gouws has cerebral palsy and competes in the T37 class for athletes with coordination impairments. She will be competing in the 400m sprint and has expanded her events to include long jump.
Gouws made her Paralympic debut at Rio 2016 at 17-years-old, where she finished 7th in the 400m. At Tokyo 2020, she placed 5th.
Balancing athletics with her studies in pharmaceuticals, Gouws aims to continue through the 2028 Los Angeles Games while advocating for para-sport development in South Africa, reports TeamSA.
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Simone Kruger (T38 – discus)
T38 athlete Simone Kruger, 19, competes in the category for athletes with low degree movement and coordination impairment.
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Kruger is a World Champ in discus throw and shot put events at international track and field competitions. She competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, where she finished fifth in the discus throw.
Tezna Abrahams (T47 – long jump and 200m)
Para-athlete Tezna Abrahams, 28, competes in the T47 category for athletes with movement affected in one lower leg. Abrahams was born with Ectrodactyly.
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Initially a swimmer, she transitioned to track and field in 2022, excelling in 100m, 200m, and Long Jump. Abrahams quickly became a champion, scooping titles for South African 200m and Long Jump champion, shattering African records in Long Jump, and earning a finalist spot in the Cape Town Sports Awards for Female Sportswomen with a Disability, reports G Sport.
Abrahams balances her athletic career with a passion for dance and advocates for para-athlete funding and support.
Yane van der Merwe (F44 – javelin, shot put, discus)
Yane van der Merwe, 24, competes in discus and shotput in the F44 class for athletes with moderate movement impairment in one lower leg.
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A Sports Science Master’s student at the University of Johannesburg, van der Merwe made her World Para Athletics Grand Prix debut in 2024, winning silver and breaking the African record with a 31.88m throw. She has previously competed in the World Championships and 2022 Commonwealth Games.
As captain of UJ’s Sports for Students with Disabilities Team, she’s set her sights on the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris – her debut at the Paralympics.
Elanza Jordaan (BC3 class)
Elanza Jordaan, 25, is a South African boccia player making her Paralympic debut in Paris, with her mom as her ramp operator.
Team SA
Born premature and diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, Jordaan was introduced to boccia almost a decade ago, in 2015. “My physiotherapist Anthea at Paarl School suggested I try it to get involved in sport. I enjoyed it and became quite good at it,” says Jordaan, as per TeamSA. Jordaan balances her training with working as a class assistant at her alma mater, Paarl School.
Philippa Johnson-Dwyer (G4, GIV)
Philippa Johnson-Dwyer, 50, will be competing in code G4 (GIV) for riders with low to moderate level of coordination, moderately affected movement in the hip joint, the absence of limbs, or a near-total visual impairment.
Philippa is a renowned South African para-equestrian rider whose journey from showjumping to para-dressage began after a 1998 motor accident, reports Business Live. Competing in five Paralympic Games, she has secured four medals, including double gold in Beijing 2008.
Despite facing severe health challenges, including a heart condition and colon cancer, she remains dedicated to her sport and to her sixth round in the Paralympics at Paris 2024.
Kirsty Weir (PTS4)
Kirsty Weir, 44, is a South African para-triathlete competing in code PTS4 for triathletes with coordination affected at a low-level on one side, at a high degree in one arm, or the absence of limbs.
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Originally from East London, Kirsty was an accomplished runner, winning the Two Oceans half-marathon at 20. Her life took a dramatic turn when she was later diagnosed with neurological lupus, a rare condition affecting her brain, nerves, and muscles, reports TeamSA.
Despite the challenges, Kirsty transitioned to para-triathlon and quickly became the South African and African para-triathlon champion.
Kat Swanepoel (S5, SB4, SM5, S14)
Competing in multiple events across different classifications at the 2024 Paralympics is 35-year-old Kat Swanepoel. She will compete in the SM5 200m Individual Medley, S5 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, SB4 100m breaststroke, S14 400m freestyle.
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Diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) during her studies in occupational therapy, Swanepoel has faced significant physical challenges, including paralysis from the chest down and blindness in one eye.
Beyond her participation in multiple events at the Paralympics, Swanepoel flew the South African flag high as an official flag bearer at the 2024 Paralympics opening ceremony.
Alani Ferreira (S12, SB12, SM12, S12-13)
Alani Ferreira, 26, will be competing in various events for swimmers with visual impairments, including S12, SB12, SM12, S12-13. Ferreira is no stranger to the Paralympics stage, and at 26 years old, she’s ready to make her third appearance at the Games.
Since her debut in Rio 2016, she has been a force in the pool. At the Tokyo Games in 2020, Ferreira broke two African and South African records for her 100m butterfly and 400m freestyle, as well as achieving her best place in the 100m breaststroke, reports The Witness.
Danika Vyncke (SB13 – 100m breaststroke)
Danika Vyncke, 17, is making her Paralympic debut at Paris 2024 as one of South Africa’s youngest competitors, competing in the S13 classification for visually impaired athletes. Danika has already made her mark with strong performances at the World Championships and European Open Championships.
Her sisters, Ivana and Giuliana, also compete in swimming—Ivana in para-swimming and Giuliana at the national junior level. Danika is poised to make her family and country proud on the world stage.
Kgothatso Montjane (Wheelchair Tennis)
Competing in her fifth Paralympics, Kgothatso Montjane, 38, will be representing South Africa in wheelchair tennis for players are affected in the legs, hips or have the absence of lower limbs. Montjane was born with a congenital disorder and lost a foot.
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She became the first black South African woman to win a Wimbledon title in 2024, claiming victory in the wheelchair women’s doubles. Montjane is a top-10 ITF player with 29 singles titles and notable Grand Slam performances. She has won the French Open and US Open doubles titles with Yui Kamiji and made history as the first African to qualify for all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year.
Montjane is one of the most experienced members of Team SA.
Mariska Venter (Wheelchair Tennis)
Mariska Venter, 28, is a South African wheelchair tennis player. Now 27, Venter has risen through the tennis ranks since her start in the sport at 14.
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She achieved a Paralympic quarterfinal in doubles at Tokyo 2020 and continues to excel in both singles and doubles. Besides her athletic career, Venter is a model and motivational speaker.
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Feature Image: Team SA
