SA swimmer Du Toit nominated for Laureus Sporting Moment award

Former Paralympic and Olympic swimmer Natalie du Toit has been nominated for the Laureus Sporting Moment of the last 20 years.

The Laureus World Sports Awards will celebrate sporting achievements of the last 20 years.

The awards will honour remarkable sporting moments that have occurred in the first 20 years of the 21st century.

“The Laureus Sporting Moment Award celebrates moments where sport has unified people in the most extraordinary way, demonstrating how sport has the power to change the world,” Laureus explain on their website.

The remarkable Natalie du Toit

In 2001, promising young swimmer Natalie du Toit was involved in a car accident. Her injuries forced surgeons to amputate her left leg at the knee.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 07: Silver medallist Natalie du Toit of South Africa poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Women’s 100m Freestyle – S9 final on day 9 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at Aquatics Centre on September 7, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

Ordinarily, this would have meant the end of her swimming career but just three months later Du Toit was back in the pool competing at the Commonwealth games.

Du Toit stunned the world by winning two gold medals at the Manchester Commonwealth games. Du Toit would then make history by becoming the first female amputee swimmer ever to qualify for the able-bodied Olympics, representing South Africa in Beijing in 2008.

Du Toit retired after the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games with an impressive Paralympic record, winning 13 golds and 2 silvers at three games.

Laureus have asked fans to vote for their favourite sporting moments. There will be three rounds of voting to determine which moment will take home the award. First 20 will become 10 then the number will be wittled down to five before the award is presented at the Laureus Awards in Berlin on February 17.

Fans can vote online on the Laureus website from January 10-February 16.

Laureus’ Sporting Moments over 20 years nominees:

Matthias Steiner (Austria)

Natalie du Toit (South Africa)

Sachin Tendulkar (India)

Chapecoense football team

Miroslav Klose (Germany)

Cathy Freeman (Australia)

Barcelona’s under-12 football team

Elizabeth Marks (United States of America)

Refugee Olympic Team

Alistair Brownlee and Jonny Brownlee (England)

Japan national football team

Nick Butter (England)

Venus Williams (United States of America)

Bethany Hamilton (United States of America)

Michael and Mick Schumacher (Germany)

Brett Lee (Australia) and Andrew Flintoff (England)

Alex Zanardi (Italy)

Sky Brown (England)