Olympian Natalie du Toit - Inspiration on one leg

There's little I like better than an inspirational sports story, and boy, does this ever qualify. Break out the hankie if you're sniffle prone.

Back in 2000, South African swimmer Natalie du Toit just missed qualifying for the Olympics, but the following year, that was the least of her problems -- she was in a motorbike accident on her way back to school from a training session. Her left leg was seriously injured, and though the doctors tried to save it, after a week they were forced to amputate below the knee.

Du Toit didn't give up on swimming, although with one leg, she wasn't able to be competitive in the pool against able-bodied athletes -- both legs are needed to push off. However, she proved to be plenty competitive against other swimmers with disabilities -- four years ago she won five medals in the Athens Paralympics. And this year, she took her game to the Beijing Olympics in the open water marathon swim.
This was the first year the 10k open water swim was an Olympic event, but it was perfect timing for du Toit, who said, "When I take my [prosthetic] leg off and I'm completely free in the water, that's who I am." The open water swim relies more on the upper body than the legs, allowing du Toit to be fully competitive.

She didn't win this year -- she took 16th, struggling with some swim cap issues and dehydration. However, she's not done: "I tried my best," said du Toit. "I'm not too happy with it, but I'll be back for 2012."

As an Olympian, she's not only an inspiration to the disabled, but to everyone. We might not all have it in us to be Olympians, but seeing how her hard work allowed her to overcome negativism and obstacles makes me realize I can certainly accomplish my non-Olympic goals, and so can you!